Florida mother admits to throwing 6-month-old, watching TikTok before calling 911, police say
LAKELAND, Fla. —
A mother has been arrested in connection with the death of her 6-month-old son, according to the Lakeland Police Department.
Police responded to reports of an unresponsive infant June 29. Upon arrival, officers transported the child to a hospital.
The infant was later pronounced dead, and medical examiners ruled the cause of death to be a homicide.
During the first round of the investigation, police said the mother, 23-year-old Tatiana Norman, lied to detectives about what happened to her son.
During a second interview with investigators, Norman revealed information that was inconsistent with her first claims.
After being confronted, Norman stated that her son had sustained multiple injuries on June 29.
She explained that she was overwhelmed and fatigued from caring for her two children that day.
Norman claimed that one of the injuries occurred around 9 a.m. while she was reaching for a remote control and accidentally dropped the infant on the floor, causing the baby to strike his head.
Instead of contacting medical professionals, Norman searched for information online about her son’s injuries and decided to monitor him at home.
Later that day, Norman said her 1-year-old climbed into the infant’s bassinet, causing it to tip over. As a result, the baby landed face-first on the floor.
Norman also admitted she became further overwhelmed as both children were crying, and decided to throw the infant from a standing position into a playpen.
During the time frame of the injuries, police said Norman watched two TikTok videos and visited up to 30 entries on different pornographic sites on her phone.
Medical officials said if the infant had received immediate care after the injuries, the outcome could have been different, according to police.
Police said Norman has been charged with aggravated child abuse, a crime that carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.