Michigan Woman Jailed for Abandoning 1-Year-Old Child in Daytona Beach

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Michigan Woman Arrested for Abandoning 1-Year-Old Child in Daytona Beach

A Michigan woman, Shamika Mitchell, was taken into custody after allegedly abandoning her 1-year-old child on a beach in Daytona Beach. The incident occurred around midnight in 57-degree weather, leaving the child unresponsive when discovered by bystanders.

Mitchell, a 37-year-old resident of Detroit, was initially arrested on November 8 and charged with unlawful desertion of a child. However, after spending a day in jail, she was released on her own recognizance. Following further investigation, Mitchell was rearrested on November 10 and charged with aggravated child abuse. She is currently being held in the Volusia County Branch Jail on a $50,000 bail.

According to court records and reports from Daytona Beach police and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the 1-year-old boy was left on the beach. Mitchell’s older son became aware of the situation when she returned to their car without the youngest child. He confronted her, and she claimed to have left the child with his father at a nearby 7-Eleven. However, this was proven false as the child’s father was actually in Detroit at the time.

The older brother, knowing his mother’s statement was a lie, searched for his baby brother and called out his name. Concerned for the child’s safety, he asked the church’s security to call 911. However, the situation escalated when the older sibling became upset and tried to hit Mitchell. As a result, he was arrested for assaulting the officers who intervened.

Court records revealed that Mitchell, along with her four children, had been vacationing in Daytona Beach since November 2. When questioned by Daytona Beach police, she continued to maintain her story about leaving the child with his father. However, when authorities contacted the father, they discovered he was in Detroit, confirming Mitchell’s deception.

A search for the missing 1-year-old was immediately launched by law enforcement. Shortly after, beachgoers reported finding a child near Main Street and Ocean Avenue, which turned out to be Mitchell’s missing son. The child was found wet and shivering, as waves had washed over him while he was on his hands and knees near the water.

Bystanders quickly removed the child’s soaked diapers and called 911. Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, placing the cold and unresponsive toddler in a patrol car with the heater on to warm him up. Paramedics later took over the child’s care, noting that he began moving his legs once he had warmed up.

Surveillance video footage reviewed by Daytona Beach police captured Mitchell’s actions. The recordings showed her walking on the boardwalk with the child in her arms at 11:57 p.m. on November 7. Just five minutes later, she was seen returning up the beach access staircase without the child. At 12:45 a.m., dispatchers notified a sheriff’s deputy that the child had been found on the beach at Main Street and Ocean Avenue.

The Department of Children and Families took custody of all the children on November 8, while their grandparents traveled from Michigan to be with them. The incident occurred on a night where temperatures dropped to 57 degrees.

The shocking abandonment of a 1-year-old child has raised concerns about child welfare and the actions of parents. Mitchell’s arrest and subsequent charges reflect the seriousness of the situation, emphasizing the need for responsible parenting and the protection of vulnerable children..