Florida couple charged in ‘abuse and torture’ scheme of boy that fractured cranium

Police in Florida introduced extra costs towards a toddler abuse suspect Saturday and are looking for the kid’s mom after authorities stated they discovered a “brutal pattern of child neglect, abuse and torture” within the couple’s residence.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office stated practically two dozen new costs are being introduced towards Shawn M. Stone, 32, who was the live-in boyfriend of the sufferer’s mom, Taylor B. Schaefer, 28, at their residence in DeLand.

Stone was arrested May 9 on costs that he fractured the cranium of a 5-year-old boy by beating him with a mop deal with.

Stone is a former felon who served greater than 5 years in jail on housebreaking and gun convictions, in keeping with the Daytona Beach News-Journal. He was launched in May 2021.  

Ms. Schaefer stays at giant. She is needed on 25 costs associated to the kid abuse.

“The torture these kids endured is hard to imagine. The good news is they’re in safe hands now, and their scumbag abusers will have to answer for what they did,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood wrote in a Facebook publish Saturday.

Stone can also be accused of tying the kid’s fingers behind his again for greater than 19 hours at one level, in addition to binding the kid’s fingers, ft, arms and torso in a separate occasion whereas Stone stood over him for a minimum of an hour.

Authorities additionally found that the boy had been positioned in a canine cage and disadvantaged of meals as a type of punishment. 

Medical officers stated they discovered greater than 45 seen and inner accidents to the kid.

Stone now faces 23 new costs associated to the alleged acts of abuse and neglect.

Ms. Schaefer first reported her boyfriend’s conduct to police final month when she instructed authorities that she had a “gut feeling” that Stone was abusing her son.

The police investigation confirmed Ms. Schaefer’s suspicions after checking video recordings of beatings that occurred within the residence, however police stated they discovered the kid’s mom was current throughout a lot of the abuse.

For occasion, the sheriff’s workplace stated Ms. Schaefer was seen in recordings cleansing up the realm the place Stone is accused of severely beating the boy with the mop deal with. That was the identical day she reported her boyfriend to the police.

Recordings additionally captured Ms. Schaefer telling the boy to face up straight whereas Stone yelled and kicked the already injured baby, in keeping with police. 

The sheriff’s workplace stated there have been a number of situations wherein the kid was limping and noticeably injured in her presence, however Ms. Schaefer didn’t give the boy any medical consideration.