A Michigan woman faces up to 35 years in prison after being convicted in Volusia County, Florida, for abandoning her 1-year-old son on Daytona Beach.
The harrowing incident involved her teenage son calling 911, claiming she was “possessed by demons.”
Shamika Mitchell, 38, was found guilty of felony child abuse and unlawful desertion following a three-day trial.
Prosecutors presented surveillance footage showing Mitchell carrying her toddler down a beach access staircase just before midnight on Nov. 8, 2023. Minutes later, she returned alone.
Teen’s Desperate Call
The case unraveled when Mitchell’s 16-year-old son alerted authorities, saying his mother had sent his younger brother “somewhere” but refused to provide proof of his whereabouts.
“I really think my mom is possessed by demons,” he told the 911 dispatcher, according to police records.
A Race Against Time
A stranger discovered the unresponsive toddler on the beach, with waves crashing over him.
Police reports detailed how the boy was found with his hands buried in sand, barely breathing. First responders rushed him to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where he later recovered.
Children Placed in Foster Care
Mitchell’s five children, aged 1 to 17, were placed in Florida’s foster care system following her arrest.
By December 2023, the children were reunited with their grandmother, Valerie Mitchell, in Detroit.
Valerie described the reunion as a Christmas miracle: “I am so happy, I just don’t know what to do,” she told the Detroit Free Press.
Mitchell, who now awaits sentencing, could face decades behind bars. Her actions have sparked debates about mental health, family intervention, and child welfare.
