John Jefferson
Karina Mustafa is accused of trying to drown her toddler son after he got dirty when he knocked over a potted plant at their Daytona Beach, Florida, home. (Volusia County Jail)
A Florida mother is behind bars after she allegedly held her toddler son’s head under water in the bathtub because she was upset after he dirtied himself when he knocked over potted plants while playing.
It is only because of the swift actions of the boy’s father and first responders that he survived and is in stable condition, Daytona Beach police said in a press release. Cops responded to a near drowning around 12:45 p.m. Friday to a home in the city. An arrest affidavit said the boy was playing in front of the home when he knocked over a potted plant which covered him in dirt and muddy water.
The boy’s mother, 29-year-old Karina Mustafa, started arguing with the boy’s father and said she would take the toddler to the middle of the street to get run over by a car, cops say. Instead she took the boy to the bathroom and locked the door, preventing the father from entering, according to the affidavit. She allegedly admitted to submerging the boy’s face in water. She eventually opened the door and the boy’s father went into the bathroom to find him unconscious in the bathtub, cops said.
His father performed CPR, reviving the child. Mustafa allegedly did nothing to help. First responders arrived and rushed the boy to the hospital where he is in stable condition. Cops responded to the scene and found a small amount of dirt in front of the house.
In an interview with detectives, Mustafa admitted to submerging the boy’s face under water after he knocked over the potted plant and soiled his pants. Mustafa allegedly changed her story and said she “slapped” the boy after he pulled her fingers and damaged her nails. She claimed she held the boy down in the bathtub because he would not stay in the water, the affidavit said. Mustafa then said she held the boy’s head under the water for “no more than one minute,” according to the affidavit.
She went on to say the boy is “out of control” and has several behavior problems. She said she believed the boy is possessed by the “diablo,” Spanish for devil.
Officers arrested Mustafa on an aggravated child abuse charge. She remains at the Volusia County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
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