POLK COUNTY, FL – Patricia Saintizaire, a 36-year-old Florida woman, has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of her four-year-old adopted son. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest, which occurred after hospital staff reported the boy’s death as occurring under “suspicious circumstances.”
According to the Sheriff’s Office, an autopsy revealed that the boy suffered a deep liver laceration due to targeted blunt force trauma, along with old and fresh scarring on his back. The liver laceration caused a speedy decline in the boy’s condition, as indicated in the autopsy findings.
The victim’s older brother initially denied any abuse by Saintizaire or witnessing any form of maltreatment. However, upon being taken into the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families, he revealed to detectives that Saintizaire had allegedly threatened him with death and instructed him to remain silent, not to get her in trouble.
Allegedly, Saintizaire called the younger boy a “faker” when he displayed signs of lethargy and inability to walk. Furthermore, home surveillance footage found on Saintizaire’s phone allegedly shows her hitting the unresponsive child with an object, and at another instance, throwing him into a pool with his hands tied behind his back.
Along with first-degree murder, Saintizaire is also facing charges of aggravated child abuse in addition to tampering with a witness. Her plea still remains uncertain, and it is unconfirmed whether she has procured legal representation.