A family trip to a Central Florida resort pool turned into a criminal case after deputies say a mother held a 6-year-old boy underwater, leaving him with a nosebleed and visible injuries. Investigators allege the woman, identified as Tiffany Lee Griffith, targeted the child in apparent retaliation for an earlier poolside clash involving her own son. She is now charged with aggravated child abuse, a felony, and faces strict court-ordered limits on contact with the boy and his family while the case moves forward.
The incident unfolded at a high-end hotel pool in the Kissimmee area, a region better known for theme parks and sprawling resorts than violent crime. Yet the allegations, captured in part on surveillance video and relayed by multiple witnesses, have renewed questions about safety at crowded resort pools and about how quickly bystanders and staff intervene when rough play crosses the line into potential abuse.
What Deputies Say Happened At The Resort Pool
According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a report of a battery involving a child at a resort pool in Kissimmee, in the heart of Central Florida. Witnesses told investigators that a woman became enraged after a splashing match between children and then grabbed a 6-year-old boy who was not her son. They said she forced the child under the water for several seconds, long enough that he emerged with a bloody nose and complained of pain, according to accounts summarized in Florida police reports.
Investigators say the confrontation happened at the sprawling water complex of The Gaylord Palms, a resort that features multiple pools and slides and draws families from across the country. Deputies later described the incident as an intentional act, not an accident during play, and classified the case as aggravated child abuse after reviewing Surveillance footage that appears to show a person pushing the boy under the surface. The resort, identified as the Gaylord Palms and the Gaylord Palms Resort, has been contacted for comment but, according to The Gaylord Palms coverage, had not publicly responded.
The Accused Mother, The Charges, And The Video Evidence
Deputies identified the suspect as Tiffany Lee Griffith, a 36-year-old mother from Fort Myers. Reports describe Tiffany Griffith as a former law enforcement officer, with one account noting that a woman accused of holding a 6-year-old boy underwater at a Central Florida pool is a former police officer. Another report, shared widely on social media, states that Tiffany Lee Gri is a former cop who could face jail time if convicted…