Elizabeth Bliss, a 36-year-old resident of South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach, is facing a felony child abuse charge and a charge of aggravated battery on a person 65 or older–a first degree felony–after she allegedly pinned her 4-year-old daughter to the ground and grabbed and slapped her 71-year-old mother.
The incident took place Sunday evening. Bliss, who had recently separated from her husband–she had an injunction against him, which has since expired–was living with her children in a separate dwelling attached to her mother’s house.
Her mother told Flagler Beach police that she was hearing what sounded like her granddaughter screaming in pain. Out of concern, Bliss’s mother rushed over and walked through the door, which was not locked. She then “observed in a small playroom [Bliss] crouched down” or “on her knees,” putting “all her weight” on top of the 4-year-old girl’s hands, which were flattened on the floor.
Bliss was startled. She and her mother began arguing. The argument escalated. According to her mother, Bliss grabbed the older woman’s arm, resulting in an injury the police report describes as a “gulf-ball size purple bruise” an inch above the right elbow. Bliss then allegedly slapped her mother, took the 4 year old and her 1-year-old boy and left the house. She had gone to an acquaintance’s place but when she saw emergency lights, she returned about 20 minutes later with both children, who had been shoeless.
She denied harming her child, on whose hands police saw no sign of injury. Bliss said the child had been messing with a seat belt. A Flagler County Fire Rescue unit examined both children for injuries and treated Bliss’s mother.
Bliss was charged with aggravated battery on a person older than 65, a first degree felony, and child abuse, a third-degree felony. Both charges are likely to be downgraded as the case wends its way through felony court.
But Bliss is facing a separate charge of illegal possession of suboxone, dating back to July. She was out on $2,000 bond. That bond was revoked today, which means that although she is now facing an additional $12,500 bond on the new charges, she may not be released, since she is being held on no bond on the previous charge, until a judge revisits that case.
Bliss is scheduled for a pre-trial on the drug charge before County Judge Melissa Distler on Jan. 3. She is scheduled for arraignment on the felony charges before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols on Jan. 7. Meanwhile, Judge Andrea Totten has issued a no-contact order that forbids Bliss from living with or near, or coming near, her mother and both her children, pending further motions before the court. The Department of Children and Families was brought in after the incident. Bliss was also ordered to surrender all firearms to the Sheriff’s Office.
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