A Florida mother is behind bars facing multiple charges in the death of her 4-year-old son, whom she adopted from Haiti in April 2023, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Patricia Saintizaire, 36, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and tampering with a witness in the death of Bryan Boyer, Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday.
“He's dead because she beat him to death,” Judd said. “It is beyond my wildest imagination how anyone could abuse a beautiful little one like this child was abused and abandoned.”
Saintizaire also has a 16-year-old son who he adopted from Haiti and who is now in protective custody.
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Patricia Saintizaire, 36, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and witness tampering in the “horrific” beating death of her 4-year-old adopted son. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
The sheriff's office said it was notified by staff at Orlando Health Hospital on Thursday, May 2, that a 4-year-old boy died “under what appeared to be suspicious circumstances” after a medical examination showed abdominal bleeding that could not be detected. be repaired through emergency surgery.
The boy's body was taken to the District 9 Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, which was performed the next day. An autopsy declared the child died from assault or blunt force trauma and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
“What we've learned during this investigation just makes us sick to our stomachs,” Judd said.
The autopsy showed that the boy had new and old scars on his back that would have occurred during the last year with Saintizaire in the United States. He also had a deep laceration to his liver, which would have affected him immediately and “caused a rapid deterioration” in his health, the sheriff's office said.
Although there were no broken or fractured bones, the autopsy showed bruising and bleeding on his arms and legs. The medical examiner's final decision was that her injuries were consistent with ongoing abuse.
“We don't think we know everything this child went through,” Judd said.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced charges against Patricia Saintizaire on Wednesday in the May 2 death of her 4-year-old son. (Polk County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
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Polk County homicide detectives learned the boy was initially taken to Heart of Florida Hospital in Davenport, where the family lived, but was airlifted to Orlando Health due to his injuries.
Saintizaire took him to the hospital at the request of his teenage son, who was previously performing CPR on the boy at home, according to PCSO.
When detectives initially spoke with the 16-year-old, he told them he had not been abused and never witnessed abuse, but once he was taken into protective custody, he said his adoptive mother told him “not to say anything.” so that they don't understand me.” in trouble.” He also said Saintizaire threatened to kill him with a gun, the sheriff's office shared.
The teen also told detectives that he and his brother were physically disciplined with a belt and a homemade hitting device while living in Haiti before telling them what happened on May 1, the day before the boy's death was reported. 4 year old boy.
When the boy came home from school that afternoon, he was “happy and acting normally with no injuries,” the brother told detectives, which was confirmed in a review of bus and school cameras and by speaking with those who interacted with him.
“Despite his abusive treatment, they said he was a happy child,” Judd said.
Bryan Boyer, 4, was adopted from Haiti by Patricia Saintizaire in 2023. (Polk County Sheriff's Office via Fox 13 Tampa Bay)
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The teen said he went to another room in the house for about two hours and did not see or hear what happened to his little brother, but noted that he “could not walk on his own and struggled to sit up on his own” when Saintizaire told him that will bring food to the child.
He allegedly told the teen that the boy was “faking it” and to just feed him shortly before he became unresponsive, which is when he began performing CPR and insisted they go to the hospital.
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Saintizaire's husband, who was “clearly at work,” according to Judd, told detectives that he does not discipline the children. Saintizaire “repeatedly denied” using physical discipline as punishment for any of the children, the sheriff's office said.
Upon searching his phone, detectives found two videos from his home surveillance cameras that showed Saintizaire allegedly hitting the 4-year-old boy with an unknown object while he was lying face down on the floor, Judd said. Another video showed her allegedly throwing the child into a pool with his hands tied behind his back.
“Our number one goal in this organization is to protect children,” Judd said, “and that's why we go after child predators, that's why we go after child pornographers, that's why we go after child molesters and we certainly go after “child killers.” “.
