A Florida man faces serious charges after allegedly dropping a 4-year-old boy on his head from a second-floor balcony following a day of drinking with the child’s mother in Daytona Beach.
According to the Daytona Beach Police Department, Brandon Gilmore, accused of aggravated child abuse, had only met the child’s mother five hours prior to the incident on Saturday at a hotel resort. Gilmore stated he met her at the hotel pool, where they had both been drinking, and she invited him to her room.
Police reported having security footage showing Gilmore carrying the child normally before exiting onto the balcony of the Sandals Inn. Around 7:30 p.m., Gilmore allegedly told the mother he wanted to frighten the child “a little bit.” Witnesses claimed to have seen the toddler fall to the ground.
“He was just like swinging him, playing with him,” said witness Dasanni Bentley. “And then he let him go, and he had him by one foot. And then the kid slipped right out of his hand and fell directly on his head on the concrete, no grass.”
Bentley reported the child’s face turned vivid purple, indicating he was not getting any oxygen. “It was just not a good situation,” Bentley explained. She said Gilmore and the child’s mother immediately ran downstairs to check on the boy, police told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
“They were just all down like all around him, trying to make sure he was OK,” Bentley continued. “People were screaming from the pool, like to not touch him.”
The mother picked up her son and took him to her room. The child was later taken to Halifax Health Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with blunt-force trauma to the head. According to Daytona Beach police Sgt. Tim Ehrenkaufer, he was released on Monday and is not expected to have any long-term medical problems, WESH-TV News reported.
“The child is doing fine and has been discharged from the hospital and is not expected to have any long-term health issues as a result of this tragic event,” police said on Tuesday. “Absolutely devastating,” Bentley added. “I don’t even know how I’d react if that was my own.”
According to the police affidavit, Gilmore admitted to carrying the child over the balcony but did not provide further details. The police reported the incident to the Department of Children and Families. Gilmore is currently being held without bond at the Volusia County Jail.