Detroit Mother Found Guilty of Abandoning Son on Florida Beach
A Detroit woman was convicted of aggravated child abuse and unlawful desertion of a child after abandoning her 1-year-old son on a Florida beach last November. Shamika Mitchell, 32, left her child at a beach in Daytona Beach in the early hours of November 8, 2023, as part of a shocking act of neglect.
According to the State Attorney’s Office of Florida’s 7th Circuit, surveillance footage showed Mitchell walking down a beach access staircase with her son in her arms around midnight. Five minutes later, she returned alone. Mitchell had earlier parked a rented minivan at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, where she had received permission from a security guard to sleep in the van with her children.
After walking to the beach, Mitchell left the church parking lot holding a red blanket, and upon returning, her other children began questioning her about their younger brother. A security guard became concerned and called the police after witnessing the troubling interaction.
Around 1 a.m., a woman discovered the child near Main Street and Ocean Avenue, where he was found in the water, on his hands and knees with his wrists submerged in sand. Waves were crashing over his head. Police arrived to find the child unresponsive, with a weak pulse, shallow breathing, and blue skin. Medical personnel later reported the child’s body temperature was dangerously low at 87 degrees, and he showed signs of fluid in his lungs. Doctors drained a significant amount of water from the child’s stomach before he was rushed to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Mitchell initially claimed her son was with his father at a nearby 7-Eleven and that they were likely on their way back to Michigan. However, authorities later confirmed that the boy’s father was in Detroit.
During the trial, Mitchell did not testify, and the jury deliberated for just over an hour before finding her guilty. She showed no visible reaction to the verdict and was escorted to the Volusia County Branch Jail.
Mitchell faces up to 35 years in prison if sentenced to the maximum for her actions. A judge will determine her sentence at a later date.