NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Detectives have arrested the mother of a 6-year-old autisitic boy who they said remains hospitalized after being brutally beaten last week in North Miami Beach, police confirmed Friday.
North Miami Beach police said Cynthia Hernandez, 33,was arrested on charges of child neglect, failure to report child neglect and providing a false statement to law enforcement.
The arrest comes as the child, identified as Mason, continues to recover after being placed in a medically induced coma last week.
Police said Mason was severely beaten by his mother’s boyfriend, 34-year-old Daniel Eduardo Romero, who was previously arrested in the case.
They said Romero, who is not the boy’s father, claimed Mason fell off the bed, but when his condition got worse and paramedics were called, Romero told the boy’s mother to tell authorities he fell off a bike.
“We were waiting for him to wake up and open his eyes,” said Elizabeth Garcia, Mason’s maternal grandmother. “He was sedated, so they decreased the sedation and yesterday, he did open his eyes, and it was the most amazing, powerful (moment), and it’s all the community, it’s people praying for him.”
Authorities said Romero caused bleeding in Mason’s brain, liver and kidney, along with spleen lacerations and a broken shoulder. Investigators said the injuries occurred at a home off Northeast 15th Avenue in North Miami Beach.
“Mason was unconscious for 30 minutes,” Garcia said last week. “This person should get the maximum.”
Mason went into cardiac arrest and had no pulse when first responders arrived, according to police.
“I have temporary custody of all three children,” Garcia said. “So there’s Mason, the 6-year-old with autism who is at the hospital, and a 1-year-old and 5-month-old. The two small ones are her children with the individual.”
Garcia has since shared videos of Mason opening his eyes, bringing renewed hope and prayers from the community as he continues to recover.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family with medical expenses.
As of Friday, Hernandez was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond was listed as “to be set.”
Hugo Apellaniz, Hernandez’s defense attorney, released this statement to Local 10 News following her arrest:
“We are extremely disappointed that the N.M.B. (North Miami Beach) Police Department has decided to arrest and press charges against a mother who is nothing more than a victim. People are not perfect, but this is a dire mistake,” Apellaniz wrote. “The police are aware that our client is also a victim at the hands of Daniel Romero as unfortunately her son was as well. The focus is on her son’s health and recovery, and we look forward to her being vindicated.”
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