The Brief
- An Orange County firefighter is relieved of duty after he was arrested for the child abuse of his stepson.
- Derick Roman, 27, who has been with OCFR for three years, said he hit his stepson to discipline him.
- The boy had multiple bruises on his right arm, butt and other parts of his body, an arrest affidavit said.
DELTONA, Fla. – An Orange County firefighter is accused of child abuse after his stepson had numerous bruises on his body, deputies say.
What we know:
Derick Roman, 27, – who has been employed by Orange County Fire Rescue since December of 2022 – was arrested on Feb. 15 after he admitted to hitting his stepson – as a way to discipline him – a Volusia County arrest affidavit said. The family lives in Deltona.
The boy said his stepfather, Roman, disciplined him by hitting him with a hangar. The Department of Children and Families began investigating possible child abuse on Feb. 1, after the boy was being teased by students about the bruises on his body, an affidavit said. …