In a startling case unfolding in Daytona Beach, Shamika Mitchell stands accused of abandoning her 1-year-old son in the ocean surf, leaving the child to struggle for survival.
A couple walking along Daytona Beach encountered a distressing sight late at night. Initially mistaking the object in the water for a marine creature, upon closer inspection, they discovered it was a young child fighting against the waves. Prosecutor Ashley Terwilleger described this harrowing event to jurors, emphasizing the child’s desperate struggle to survive alone in the surf.
Mitchell is currently on trial, facing serious charges including unlawful desertion of a child, categorized as a third-degree felony, and aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony. The trial is taking place at the S. James Foxman Justice Center under Circuit Judge Karen Foxman, with a jury composed of seven men and one woman. Mitchell, 38, is being defended by public defenders Rachel Brothers and Odell Brown.
During the trial, Assistant State Attorney Ashley Terwilleger accused Mitchell of weaving a ‘web of lies’ concerning her actions. Mitchell had been staying in Daytona Beach with her five children and was allowed to park overnight at a local church. On the night of November 7, 2023, a security guard observed her leaving the vehicle and heading towards the ocean, concealing something with a red blanket.
Upon returning to her vehicle, Mitchell reportedly began shouting, prompting the security guard to contact the police. When questioned by officers, Mitchell falsely claimed she had left her child at a convenience store with his father, intending to return to Michigan. For more than 20 minutes, she misled law enforcement, insisting the child was safe, according to Terwilleger.
As police questioned Mitchell, a separate couple, also from Michigan, found the child struggling in the water and rescued him. They immediately called for help and attempted to keep the child warm. A responding officer continued the rescue efforts while waiting for paramedics, as the child was unresponsive, suffering from hypothermia with his body temperature dangerously low.
Paramedics soon arrived and transported the child to Halifax Health Medical Center, where further evaluation revealed water in his lungs, a critical condition. The child was later intubated and transferred to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, where he remained for over five days, part of the time in intensive care.
Surveillance footage from the Ocean Center provided additional evidence against Mitchell, showing her carrying the child towards the beach and returning alone. Despite the defense acknowledging many of the facts, they contest the severity of harm inflicted on the child, challenging the prosecution’s narrative of significant injury.
The trial of Shamika Mitchell is scheduled to continue through the week, with both sides presenting their evidence and arguments. As the proceedings unfold, the court will determine the extent of Mitchell’s culpability in the distressing incident that has captured public attention.
Source: News-journalonline
