A mother was arrested in connection with the death of her 6-month-old son, according to the Lakeland Police Department.
Police responded to reports of an unconscious baby on June 29. Upon arrival, officers took the child to a hospital.
The baby was later pronounced dead and medical examiners determined the cause of death to be homicide.
During the first phase of the investigation, police said the mother, Tatiana Norman, 23, lied to detectives about what happened to her son.
During a second interview with investigators, Norman revealed information that contradicted his initial statement.
After being confronted, Norman stated that her son had suffered multiple injuries on June 29. She explained that that day she felt exhausted and fatigued from caring for her two children.
Norman stated that one of the injuries occurred around 9 a.m. when he was reaching for a remote control and accidentally dropped the baby on the floor, causing him to hit his head.
Instead of contacting medical professionals, Norman searched the internet for information about his son's injuries and decided to monitor him at home.
Later that day, Norman testified that his one-year-old son climbed into the baby's crib, causing it to tip over. As a result, the baby fell face-first to the ground.
Norman also admitted that she felt even more overwhelmed hearing both children crying and decided to throw the baby from a standing position into a playpen.
During the time the injuries occurred, police reported that Norman watched two TikTok videos and visited up to 30 entries on different porn sites on his phone.
According to police, doctors indicated that if the baby had received immediate care after the injuries, the outcome could have been different.
Police said Norman has been charged with aggravated child abuse, a crime that carries a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
