A Miami Beach couple is behind bars after their two-month-old son was found critically injured with multiple signs of abuse, including 18 rib fractures and severe head trauma. Stephen Michael Palmer, 42, and Tina Joy Palmer, 37, were taken into custody this past Thursday, facing grave charges linked to the neglect and abuse of their infant son, as was first reported by NBC Miami.
According to the arrest warrant, the troubling discovery was made after the couple's son, born on Oct. 18, was found unresponsive in their Collins Avenue apartment. Stephen Palmer was administering CPR when fire rescue crews arrived; the infant was subsequently rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center for life-saving intervention. It's at the pediatric intensive care unit of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital where doctors identified the extent of the child's injuries, which included rib fractures, a deep laceration on his chin, and signs of brain hemorrhaging. In the statement obtained by NBC Miami, injuries were described as "highly suspicious for non-accidental trauma indicative of severe physical abuse."
Meanwhile, Local 10 reported on the grim details found by doctors, including scabs and a bruised and hemorrhaged left testicle on the baby boy. These were injuries police say were indicative of abuse, and pointedly inconsistent with the parents' explanation. During the inquiry, Stephen Palmer stated he found his son with "blue colored lips," indicating signs of asphyxiation, while also mentioning the infant's recent fever and frequent large spit-ups which he attributed to what he believed was colic. Tina Palmer suggested a squeezed baby bottle might have caused the chin injury; however, neither could account for the other severe injuries, as she told Local 10.
The grim tally of injuries extended to a fractured bone in the baby's right hand, and acute hemorrhaging in both sides of his brain, indicating neurological damage. More disturbingly, injuries were also found to his genitals, with scabbed lacerations on his right big toe, left hand, and around his neck. The couple had neglected to take the infant to a pediatrician since his two-week appointment, citing Tina Palmer's working of two jobs as reason. The Palme has been booked at Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, as per arrest records, with Stephen Palmer ordered by a judge to be held without bond and Tina Palmer's bond set at $100,000. Both have been ordered to stay away from the child should they be released.
Miami Beach police needed to secure a warrant after Stephen and Tina Palmer refused to answer the door to investigators. The couple now faces serious legal battles, with Stephen Palmer charged with aggravated child abuse or torture causing great bodily harm and child neglect with great bodily harm. Tina Palmer is charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm. If they are found guilty, the couple could be facing long terms in prison, compounding a tragedy that has already shaken the Miami Beach community.
