When a young Florida couple arrived at the emergency room with their injured 1-year-old daughter, they reportedly had a hard time explaining how it happened. Justin Coulliette, 24, and Charity Tumbleson, 25, took the infant to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, where doctors found a “non-accidental” injury to the toddler’s leg. The couple allegedly gave conflicting stories to police, staff, and the Department of Children and Families, raising red flags. After questioning Coulliette and Tumbleson, detectives from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office hoped they’d uncovered the truth.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, deputies reported to the hospital on September 4, 2025, after receiving a call about a suspicious injury to the baby’s femur. After talking with the parents, they learned of a second child who was just 3 weeks old.
“Upon further investigation, deputies learned of a second infant, located at a residence, who had also suffered injuries including bruises and what appeared to be a bite mark. The second infant was transported to the hospital and both children were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit,” the release noted.
Per court documents obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat, Tumbleson gave conflicting stories to investigators and hospital staff about what happened to her baby. She reportedly told investigators the baby fell off the couch and hit the floor. But while talking to staff, Tumbleson alleged she’d squeezed the baby girl’s leg “a little too hard“ while trying to calm the fussy child.
In a third account, Tumbleson apparently told the Department of Children and Families the baby fell off the couch but that she had left her alone with Coulliette while she went to sleep. She said she heard the toddler crying and called emergency personnel for help, thinking the toddler had a stomach bug.
Per the Democrat, Coulliette told investigators he’d been binge drinking for three to four days leading up to the September 4 incident. He allegedly told police Tumbleson woke him “hysterical,” stating the toddler had fallen off the couch. He reportedly admitted to picking up one of the babies to put her in bed and dropping her on the floor.
The father also stated he’d bitten his child once in April, and another time more recently. DCF reportedly visited the family in April about bite marks, but at the time, the parents allegedly blamed Tumbleson for kissing the toddler too aggressively, the newspaper reported.
Prosecutors charged Coulliette with aggravated child abuse and two counts of child abuse. Tumbleson faces two counts of child neglect. Per online records, Coulliette remains in jail on a $15,000 bond.
According to the Democrat, this case is just one among a string of recent cases of severe child abuse in the Tallahassee area in 2025 so far, several of which resulted in the deaths of the toddlers and young children involved.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
