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Davenport woman accused of beating child to death
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on a woman who is accused of beating her 4-year-old son to death.
DAVENPORT, Fla. - A 4-year-old boy is dead, and his mother is in jail on murder charges, accused of beating him to death.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says Bryan Boyer, who was born in Haiti, went to live with Patricia Saintizaire, 36, in Davenport last year. The sheriff explained that the child was born to a woman who didn’t want him and Saintizaire’s sister began the process of adopting him for Saintizaire to keep. Saintizaire, according to Judd, also adopted her 16-year-old son from Haiti.
The sheriff said Bryan suffered ‘horrible’ abuse at the hands of Saintizaire.
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"We have a video clip where that 3-year-old baby’s hands were tied behind its back, and she threw him in the swimming pool in the backyard," Judd said.
On May 1, Judd said Bryan got off the bus and his 16-year-old brother noticed he looked happy, but as the day went on, the teenager noticed the little boy was lethargic and unresponsive.
According to Judd, Saintizaire told the teen that Bryan was ‘faking it’ and to give him something to eat.
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Judd said the teen fed Bryan, but he could not keep food down and went unconscious. That’s when investigators said the teen kept saying the boy needed to go to the hospital.
Pictured: Bryan Boyer. Image is courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Saintizaire took him to a hospital in Haines City and the facility sent him to Orlando Health where he died.
"We found injuries that this child has been beaten," Judd said. "We found an injury where his liver suffered a tear, and the medical examiner said it could be nothing else other than an immediate hard strike to the abdomen and as the autopsy went on, they found different layers of bruises and injuries from past beatings, and he’s dead. He’s dead because she beat him to death."
Judd said what detectives learned while investigating the case is ‘stomach-turning.’
Pictured: Patricia Saintizaire
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is beyond my wildest imagination how anyone could abuse a beautiful little fellow like this," Judd stated.
The sheriff went on to say that he doesn’t believe detectives know all the abuse Bryan suffered and referenced another video clip that was on the suspect’s phone in which the child was face-down on the floor, and she’s beating him in the back, and he’s not even resisting it as though it is a normal occurrence.
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"The positive, if you search for a positive in this, is that he’s in the arms of God right now, and he’s no longer being beaten. He’s no longer being punched. He’s no longer being tied up and thrown in the swimming pool. Now, he’s, as our Christians believe, he’s living the life there where he’s surrounded by love and things are great like he should have been surrounded by love and things are great here on Earth for him."
Patricia Saintizaire mugshot courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Saintizaire’s 16-year-old son is now in protective custody and added that the teen told detectives he was told to lie to investigators about what happened.
Saintizaire has been charged with murder and aggravated child abuse and the case is still under investigation.
Judd encourages anyone who suspects a child is being abused to call the authorities.
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