A 36-year-old woman, Tiffany Lee Griffith, was arrested after an apparent pool incident at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Kissimmee on Dec. 19. Witnesses and investigators say Griffith entered the pool and allegedly submerged a 6-year-old boy for two to four seconds; the boy left the water with a nosebleed. Surveillance footage, according to the affidavit, matched the witness account; Griffith told police she acted to protect her nonverbal autistic son. She faces a charge of aggravated child abuse and was scheduled to appear in court the following Monday.
Florida Mother Arrested After Allegedly Submerging 6-Year-Old at Luxury Hotel Pool
Osceola County Sheriff's OfficeTiffany Lee Griffith.
A Florida woman has been arrested after an incident at a Kissimmee hotel pool that left a 6-year-old boy with a nosebleed. Authorities say the episode took place at the Gaylord Palms Hotel on Dec. 19 and involved three children playing in the resort's pool.
What Happened
36-year-old Tiffany Lee Griffith was taken into custody after deputies responded to a reported battery involving a child. According to a charging affidavit and a witness statement obtained by investigators, the three children were splashing in the pool when the situation escalated.
The witness said Griffith calmly entered the water, began splashing toward the children, moved behind one boy, placed both hands on his shoulders and "fully submerged" him for about two to four seconds. The boy resurfaced and later exited the pool with a nosebleed and informed his parents of the encounter.
Evidence and Statements
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage of the pool area. The affidavit states that the video was consistent with the witness's description of Griffith's actions. Separately, the sheriff's office noted that the alleged victim had earlier "dunked" Griffith's son, who is roughly the same age, but court documents describing the security footage did not include a clear account of that alleged dunking.
When interviewed by police, Griffith told officers she entered the water to protect her nonverbal son, whom she said has autism, because she believed another child was trying to "drown" him. After being shown the surveillance footage that investigators say captured her dunking the 6-year-old, Griffith reportedly said, "I was protecting my son," and expressed remorse for the incident.
Charges And Next Steps
Online court records list Griffith's charge as cruelty to a child — aggravated child abuse. Records did not show plea or attorney information at the time of reporting. She was scheduled to appear in court on the Monday following the incident.
If You Suspect Child Abuse: Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. Calls are toll-free, confidential and the hotline operates 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Reporting is based on law enforcement statements, a charging affidavit and witness accounts. Details remain subject to official court proceedings.
