Fort Myers Woman Arrested After Allegedly Dunking 6-Year-Old Underwater at Resort Pool
Fort Myers woman Tiffany Lee Griffith was arrested after allegedly dunking a 6-year-old boy underwater at the Gaylord Palms Resort pool in Osceola Cou
A Fort Myers woman has been arrested after allegedly dunking a 6-year-old boy underwater during an altercation at a resort pool in Osceola County, Florida, authorities said.
Tiffany Lee Griffith, 36, was taken into custody Friday and initially charged with aggravated child abuse following an incident at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were dispatched to the resort’s pool area around 4:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a battery involving a child.
Investigators said three children had been playing in the pool when the interaction escalated into aggressive splashing. Surveillance footage and witness statements indicate Griffith entered the pool after her own 6-year-old son was allegedly dunked underwater by another child. Authorities allege Griffith then retaliated by dunking the other child underwater.
The victim exited the pool visibly shaken and bleeding from the nose before reporting the incident to his parents. Witnesses told deputies that Griffith shouted at the child’s mother before leaving the pool area. She was later located by law enforcement, interviewed, and arrested.
According to the arrest report, Griffith told deputies she is a former law enforcement officer and said she was acting to protect her son, who is non-verbal and autistic. She claimed the other child repeatedly held her son underwater, leaving him crying and distressed.
Griffith was booked into the Osceola County Jail on no bond and made her first court appearance Monday. During a subsequent hearing Tuesday, her charge was downgraded to third-degree felony child abuse, and bond was set at $20,000. As part of her release conditions, Griffith was ordered not to return to the resort, consume alcohol, or have any contact with the child or the child’s parents.
The incident has sparked widespread online debate, with many condemning any form of physical retaliation against children. Legal experts note that physical contact with another person’s child is unlawful regardless of circumstances.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, and resort officials are cooperating fully. Hotel security indicated that alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the incident.