Police in Florida have arrested a mother after she allegedly attempted to drown her toddler after the child knocked over a potted plant while playing outside. Karina Mustafa, 29, of Daytona Beach was taken to Volusia County Jail on June 7, 2024, following the allegedly violent attack on her toddler. Mustafa allegedly took the child into the bathroom to clean up and locked the door so the father couldn’t get in.
According to a news release from the Daytona Beach Police Department, the father called 911 after discovering the child was unresponsive and performed life-saving measures that ultimately prevented the child’s death.
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The mother reportedly reacted to the child making a mess.
The child was playing outside on June 7 and knocked over a potted plant, causing a muddy mess, Fox 35 reported. Mustafa allegedly got into an argument with the child’s father, took the toddler into the bathroom, and locked the door.
She reportedly refused to let the child’s father in and put the toddler in the bathtub. The mother is accused of putting the toddler’s face in the water, nearly drowning the child.
The child's father found the toddler unconscious.
According to police, officers responded to a 911 call about a domestic disturbance around 1 p.m. After speaking with the couple, they learned that when Mustafa finally opened the door, the child’s father found the toddler unconscious on the bathroom floor.
He began life-saving measures and was able to revive his child. The toddler was taken to an area hospital for treatment and, according to Fox, 35, was in stable condition.
Mustafa reportedly admitted to abusing her child.
Mustafa said she slapped the child because the child pulled her fingers and damaged her fingernails, per court documents obtained by Fox 35. The mother then reportedly told investigators she held the toddler’s face under the water on purpose.
She said the child is “out of control,” and the behavior is affecting her relationship with the child’s father, the news outlet reported. Mustafa allegedly believes her child is “possessed” and that “the devil” is in the child’s life.
Mustafa's story made people angry.
A TikToker who posts under the handle @truecrimewithmegan shared the story with her 97,000 followers, and people were shocked.
One person wrote, “She should have the same thing 2 her member,” adding that her own son “wanted something in the fridge behind a glass pan [I] heard it hit the floor and right away got scared that he would be cut I said move, I don’t want you cut.”
Someone else praised the father, commenting, “At least this time the father was doing the right thing!”
” This monster needs to be locked up immediately,” another TikToker wrote.
The mother was arrested and charged.
Mustafa has been taken into custody and booked into Volusia County Jail, Fox 35 reported, charged with aggravated child abuse. According to online arrest records, she was being held on a $100,000 bond. It was unclear when she will appear in court.
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.
