A Davenport mother was accused of kil*ling her young son in a “horrible” m*urder.
In a news conference Wednesday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the abuse 4-year-old Bryan Boyer allegedly suffered at the hands of his mother.
“He’s face down, on the floor, and she’s be*ating him on the back and he’s not even resisting it. It’s just like it’s a normal occurrence,” Sheriff Judd said.
Patricia Saintizaire, 36, who immigrated from Haiti with the “unwanted” child, be*at and neglected him for an extended period of time, according to Judd. She was accused of tying his arms behind his back and throwing him into a swimming pool.
“We have a video clip of where that 3-year-old baby’s hands was tied behind his back and she threw him in a swimming pool,” said the sheriff.
On May 1, Bryan’s 16-year-old brother, who was adopted from Haiti, noticed the 4-year-old was lethargic and knew something was wrong. He asked his mother to take the boy to the hospital, but Judd said Saintizaire brushed it off, saying the small child was “just being dramatic.”
Bryan was taken to a Haines City hospital, where he later died. The medical examiner’s report found evidence of long-term abuse, “layers of bruises and injuries” from past be*atings, according to PCSO.
“He’s in the arms of God right now,” Judd said. “He’s no longer being b*eaten, no longer being punched, no longer being tied up and thrown into a pool.”
Judd said detectives discovered video of the pool incident and another video showing Bryan face-down with his mother allegedly be*ating him on the back. Judd described him as just laying there, taking it “like it was a normal occurrence.”
Saintizaire was charged with first-degree m*urder, aggravated child abuse and witness tampering.
She was due in court for her first appearance Wednesday but failed to make it. Her first appearance is now scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday.
The boy’s father was at work at the time of the incident and the 16-year-old is in protective custody. The investigation is ongoing.
The 4-year-old boy was a student at Loughman Oaks Elementary School in Davenport.
“Our hearts are broken at the suffering little Bryan endured. Please keep his grieving family members, his school mates and the staff at Loughman Elementary, and especially his older brother, in your prayers,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
