Hunter Deeann Miller (Putnam County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida mother allegedly inflicted at least 10 possible fractures on her infant child and then tried to blame multiple other people for her misdeeds.
Hunter Deeann Miller, 23, is charged with first-degree child abuse, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said. The investigation spanned three counties and took several months to unfold due to Miller’s untruthfulness, authorities say.
“This case was full of deception and lies by the suspect in order to protect herself,” Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach said in a statement. “She pointed fingers at innocent people to disrupt their lives in a pattern that became all too familiar for her. Sorting through those lies took time to ensure we got her away from the lives of the helpless she sought to destroy. The sad part of all of this is some people sought to protect her over this child. All I can say is — shame on them.”
In November, Miller took the child to the emergency room at a hospital in St. Johns County. The sheriff’s office there contacted the nearby Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to alert authorities that the child possibly suffered a broken arm at a Palm Coast home on Thanksgiving.
Miller claimed that someone else was holding the baby when the person dropped the child. But that proved to be “false,” authorities said. Video showed the child was never dropped and did not fall inside the home.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office took over the case in January, when Miller blamed yet another person for the baby’s injuries. In addition, the child’s father uncovered medical records that showed multiple past fractures.
“Medical records and a forensic analysis showed the baby had sustained 10 potential fractures — more than 1 fracture a month in the child’s short life,” deputies wrote.
Investigators were able to clear the person Miller blamed for the injuries after determining the harm had occurred before that person had even met the child.
Miller was arrested on Tuesday and taken to the Putnam County Jail, where she has since posted a $50,000 bond. It’s unclear when her next court appearance will be.
