Palm Coast, FL - A Palm Coast man was arrested for child abuse after allegedly bathing a child in boiling water and permanently disfiguring the child, Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) says.
At around 7:45 PM on Thursday, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) notified FCSO that a child was brought to Florida Hospital Flagler with a skull fracture, severe burns, and other signs of physical abuse. The injuries were thought to be potentially life-threatening, and the child was brought to Wolfson's Children's Hospital for further treatment.
Deputies investigated the incident as a criminal case, and FCSO says deputies found probable cause to arrest 25-year-old Deviaun Toler as a suspect in the case.
According to arrest reports, Toler knowingly bathed the child in a bathtub with boiling water about three to four weeks ago without getting medical treatment for the child. The child suffered severe burns to the right arm. Reports also say that Toler used a tree branch and a belt to spank the child as a method of discipline.
Toler faces two counts of aggravated child abuse and was held at the Flagler County Inmate Facility without bond. “This is a traumatic situation and, if this child survives, he will spend the rest of his life with scars from this abuse, both physical and emotional,” says Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “Some people should not be allowed to be a parent. I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison.”
(Toler's mugshot courtesy Flagler County Jail)
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