Priscilla Jocelyn Florentino was booked at the Flagler County jail on three felony charges, including child abuse and assaulting an officer, after allegedly handcuffing her 12-year-old child’s hand to a steering wheel in a hot car, defacing the child with lurid accusations on her face, shoving a pipe down the 12 year old’s mouth, shoving her fingers down her mouth, choking her, striking the girl with a phone, and shearing off the child’s hair to a military-style cut.
The entire incident, much of it witnessed by co-workers who intervened, took place at the Microtel off Old Kings Road, where Florentino, a 33-year-old resident of Prospect Lane in Palm Coast, works. Florentino was allegedly disciplining her child after finding out that she may have been engaged in sexual acts.
According to her arrest report, Florentino had arrived at work Thursday morning with her child’s phone. She searched the phone with a co-worker’s help and found sexually-suggestive pictures. She then went to school to retrieve her daughter. Once back at the motel, Florentino walked back in by herself. According to a co-worker, she had left her daughter handcuffed to the steering wheel in the parking lot “in the hot car.” (The heat index exceeded 100 on Thursday). Shortly afterward, Florentino went back out to get her daughter, but handcuffed her to herself before taking the handcuffs off and having the girl sit in a chair.
What followed, according to co-workers, was a series of torments, insults and physical assaults against the girl. Florentino allegedly forced a pipe down the girl’s mouth to simulate an act her mother was accusing her of performing with a boy, appearing to choke her, and did the same with her fingers, telling her to “suck this” if she wanted to do so so bad. The child’s mother then flashed the picture of male genitalia to her child, found on her phone, demanding to know whose it was, and when Florentino got no answer, a co-worker “stated she saw [Florentino]’s arm raise with the phone in it and then heard an impact of an object hitting skin which she believed to be the phone hitting” the girl.
A co-worker told deputies that after she heard the child being struck, Florentino defaced the girl by writing demeaning and insulting words all over her face, at which point the co-worker left, being unable to watch anymore. The entire scene occurred in a hallway behind the front desk, out of view from surveillance cameras. The co-worker, shaken and in tears, would later speak with authorities. But it had not been that co-workers who’d alerted deputies.
Rather, it was an employee at the nearby Red Roof Inn who’d called. She had been taking a smoke break, had noticed the girl and her mother in the car, both seeming upset. When the employee approached and asked Florentino if everything was all right, Florentino told her she had caught her daughter engaged in a sexual act. It was then that the other employee realized the girl’s hand was handcuffed to the steering wheel, then saw Florentino leave her in the car and walk into the motel. (The arrest report is conflicting regarding which motel the incident took place in, at first referring to the Microtel, then referring to the Red Roof Inn, both of which are on Kingswood Drive. Florentino told authorities she works at the Microtel.)
The Red Roof Inn employee also saw Florentino write obscene words on her daughter’s face “while gripping” it, and moments later saw her shear off the girl’s hair, which had been shoulder-length. That employee said that’s when she’d seen enough, and walked away, eventually reporting the incident to authorities and naming the other employee who’d witnessed the torment. Both employees’ accounts closely resembled each other.
Deputies would later find the pipe with which Florentino had allegedly assaulted her daughter, and hair in a trash can. By then, Florentino had gone home with her daughter.
Deputies went to Florentino’s home. Florentino denied that there’d been an incident at school, and denied the deputies access to her child, saying she did not want to speak with deputies further. By then, however, a felony child abuse charge had already been issued. Florentino was to be detained. So the deputy asked Florentino to comply. But she tried to go back into the house, allegedly resisted arrest as deputies ordered her to comply, yelled profanities, “then began striking Deputy Doggett with a closed fist on his left wrist while he was attempting to gain control of her.” Another struggle ensued inside the house before she was subdued.
She then spoke with deputies of what had prompted her to get her child from school, citing the images she’d found on her child’s phone, confessing to smacking her child on the back of her head and shaving off her hair. She did this, the mother said, because the child’s hair is her “most prized possession” that makes her “feel like the beautiful girl she is.” Florentino denied other accusations.
Surveillance video footage “was gone” from 1:55 p.m. forward, the arrest report states, though from what footage deputies did recover, they could only detect the appearance of Florentino yelling at someone not visible from that angle. But there was no evidence of the alleged defacing or the shoving of the pipe.
After the arrest deputies were able to have contact with the child, apparently with her father’s permission. Her eyes “immediately filled with tears” when she began speaking with a female deputy, and she asked if the conversation could take place in her bedroom, where she’d be more comfortable. But she would only nod yes or no to questions, denying that anything had happened at the motel, but conceding that her mother had cut her hair. She had a small, bright-red scratch on her cheek, but otherwise did not appear bruised.
Florentino faces three third-degree felonies–child abuse, resisting an officer with violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer. She was booked at the Flagler County jail on $17,500 bond. She remained at the jail in early afternoon Friday. A judge has imposed a no-contact order against the mother regarding her child, pending the resolution of the case, which means the mother may not return to the home where the child lives, or be within a certain distance of her child.
Abuse Hotline: Report Abuse Online
The Florida Abuse Hotline accepts reports 24 hours a day and 7 days a week of known or suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and reports of known or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Please use the links below to report a child or adult abuse.
If you suspect or know of a child or vulnerable adult in immediate danger, call 911.
TTY: 711 or
1-800-955-8771
FAX: 1-800-914-0004
Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child’s welfare is a mandatory reporter. § 39.201(1)(a), Florida Statutes.
To report an allegation in Spanish or Creole, please call 1-800-962-2873, for TTY use 711 or 1-800-955-8771. This toll free number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with counselors waiting to assist you.
ASF says
This poor 12 year old! I wish her well and hope she is getting the intensive counseling she will, no doubt, need for quite some time. It is doubtful that this is the first instance of abuse in her short life.
S. Smith says
There is a dire, unmet need for mental health services in Flagler County.
This story is a grave example of the need.
The mother and her daughter both need professional counseling.
If the mother was brazen enough to carry out the abusive actions in public, it begs the question of how she treats her young daughter in private.
Sad.
R. S. says
“Sex is dirty; save it for the one you love” has always been moronic advise that leads to frustrated parenting such as this. I think we need to work on our collective values of sexuality and must remember that some folks take one heck of a lot longer to get it than others.
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
I sincerely hope this poor child is NEVER returned to that monster who calls herself the child’s mother. The girl is probably traumatized for life. Just because someone gives birth to a child doesn’t mean they are a “mother.”
Dianne says
A co worker witnessed these from the start of the abuse and did nothing…shame on her…how dare you let a child be abused like that and don’t step in…shove a pipe down the mother’s mouth…handcuff her and shave off her hair….she’s not a mom…
me says
Lets hope for once the Judges in Flagler County don’t just give her a slap on the wrist and let her go. She needs to be locked up for abusing her daughter. It is one thing to discipline your child but you don’t physically abuse her the way she did.
G A says
Thank God that there was someone willing to step forward and make the call. I am so sorry for that poor kid. I hope they are looking into the father as well…has he seen this kind of abuse and said nothing? SS…do your job and investigate!
Experienced it. says
Why don’t you not assume. Employees did everything in their power without being arrested themselves. If you didn’t have to experience this first hand, don’t ever accuse those workers of not doing anything. It wasn’t only traumatizing to that poor baby but to those who were told to mind there own business!!
A concerned citizen says
The employees did the best they could with the hands they were dealt. It was very traumatizing to those involved especially the child. But think of how the employees felt. It was not a pretty sight.
Laurel says
Where’s dad?
So sad to know this stuff goes on. Some people should simply not have children. My heart goes out to this girl.
Monica says
The s0-called mother’s actions has just traumatized her daughter forever which will result in escalation of bad or irresponsible behavior. If this family dynamics is not dealt with properly this girl’s future does not look good. If you see someone being abused don’t stand by and do nothing.
Doyle Lewis says
YES,
Truth says
He’s probably working….to pay the child support to raise the child, because the law only sees the father as a paycheck. Don’t even try to point the finger at the dad who wasn’t even present, and also HELPED authorities on the girls behalf.
Jennyds76 says
Sad thing this isn’t the first time this has happened to this poor girl. Her mother shaved her head last year as a form of punishment as well. This lady doesn’t deserve to be a mother or ever have any rights to her child. Wth is wrong with people how dare someone stand by and watch this happen. Her coworker deserves to be reprimanded as well. My child came home and told me about this young girl and how the kids in school are talking about this. So sad 😞
Lynn says
Concerned for Mother and daughter both. It’s not easy to raise a child today’s world. And it’s not easy being a child in this world. Hopefully they are strong enough, patient enough and willing to learn better emotional control tools. This outburst made a rubble situation worse.
jellen says
so true people are so scared to step up or say anything. but the witnesses should of called the police immediately… if you are hurting a child i am turning you in. the poor girl… she probably feels guilty for her mom being in jail. I really don’t like how palm coast is getting in the news alot lately.
jellen says
funny that is why there is so much crime here because its all about the money!!!
The other story is a 18 rapping a 13 year took a YEAR to investigate???? why
Dee Dee says
This poor child needs to be removed from that house. Did you see the arrest video? If that’s Dad there with Mom, I’m really worried for the kids in that house. This is how they treat police? Those things she did are considered torture. Shaving her head, handcuffing her to a steering wheel and leaving her in a car in Florida? Assault, a metal pipe shoved in her throat to mimic what we all know she was trying to mimic. And this is all done at her place of business? Where she works she does this in front of people.. Can you imagine what goes on in the privacy of their home? This needs to be investigated further. That girl needs to be placed with a foster family or other family members. Counseling? Shaving a girl’s head at 12 years old, making her attend school like that? That alone will traumatize her and affect the rest of her life. There should be no slap on the wrist for this. Anyone who knows these people, need to keep an eye out for any kids in that house. Teachers, educators. We all have to be on board with this.
Dee Dee says
Did you actually watch the video of this woman being arrested? If that is how she treats law enforcement, do you think she is willing to learn better? That child needs to be removed from the house. Period. No second chances. She doesn’t think she did anything wrong. And did you see Dad? I urge you to check out the video. No slap on the wrist for this.
Dee Dee says
I completely agree. People in that community need to keep an eye out now. If they slap her on the wrist and she regains custody, she is the type to take it all out and blame the child for her arrest, everything. That girl’s life will be misery. Teachers, neighbors, family members, everyone now needs to keep an eye out. I have a feeling they are just going to let her get away with that.
Dee Dee says
Oh, my friend. Check out the arrest video. Dad is no better than Mom. That is why I’m urging people in the community to keep an eye out for that poor child. Because once they give custody back to her, she will take out all her aggressions over her arrest, etc. on that child. I was abused. I know. She needs to not return to that house. Check the arrest record. It’s worse than what they are printing.
Dee Dee says
Please let Children’s Services know this while they are conducting their investigation now. Please. This is horrendous treatment and it won’t stop. These agencies can get overwhelmed and they may just slap an easy band-aid on this and give her custody back. This child deserves the chance to heal and have a normal life. Where are the teachers/educators at her school? They are remanded by law to report these types of harsh punishments. Shaving a girl’s head like that is torture. Where are people in this girl’s life to let this keep happening to her? Please keep an eye out and make a report with Children’s Services.
Alee says
I totally agree. , abuse is abuse. But, that is a 12 year old she absolutely has no business engaging in sexual acts with a boy at that age. I feel like punishment is necessary in this case, but not the abuse.
R. S. says
But that’s a call for a talk, not for punishment, which has never worked as an educational tool.