Daytona Beach, FL – A 37-year-old mother, identified as Shamika Mitchell, faces charges of aggravated child abuse and desertion after allegedly abandoning her 1-year-old baby on the shores of Daytona Beach during the night, according to local authorities.
Police responding to the incident found the infant unresponsive and “cold to the touch,” prompting immediate intervention. Mitchell is currently in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail, held on a $55,000 bail, as indicated by online records. She is charged with felony aggravated abuse and unlawful desertion of a child and has not entered a plea, according to court records.
Mitchell, a resident of Detroit, was vacationing in Florida with her four children, living out of her car in the parking lot of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, law enforcement officials reported.
The sequence of events leading to Mitchell’s arrest began when Daytona Beach police officers responded to a midnight call reporting a disturbance between Mitchell and her eldest son in the church parking lot. The son, concerned about the whereabouts of his younger brother, became alarmed when Mitchell returned without the baby.
Upon questioning, Mitchell claimed she had given the child to his father, whom she allegedly met at a local convenience store. However, the teen was skeptical, citing the father’s residence in Detroit. Frustrated by the lack of evidence, the son dialed 911, expressing his concerns to the dispatcher.
A church security officer informed the police that he witnessed Mitchell leaving with the baby and returning alone, heightening suspicions about the baby’s welfare.
Meanwhile, pedestrians on Daytona Beach discovered the abandoned infant, clad only in a diaper, exposed to 57-degree weather. The child was unresponsive, with waves crashing over him, fully submerging him at times, officials said.
Quick-thinking bystanders rescued the baby from the water, removing his wet diaper, attempting to warm him, and promptly calling 911. Volusia County Sheriff’s office deputies responded to the scene, and a deputy took the child into his patrol car, activating the heat in an effort to revive him. The baby, eventually showing signs of movement in his legs, was transported by paramedics for further medical attention.
Authorities have not released information regarding the current condition of the baby. Social workers have taken custody of Mitchell’s other three children, holding them until their grandparents arrive, according to reports.
