FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — A Fernandina Beach man was arrested on Thursday after deputies said he nearly beat a child to death.
Michael Devon Shiver was arrested after a lengthy investigation that started on June 23, when the little boy was taken to Wolfson Children's Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Doctors told Nassau County deputies that the boy had a head injury consistent with being punched in the face and having his head shaken. He also had bruises all over his body and was in need of life-saving surgery, deputies said. Doctors said the boy would have died if 30 more minutes had gone by without medical care.
Shiver is the boyfriend of the child's mother, Allison Shriner. Both Shriner and Shiver told deputies the boy had bumped his head twice while running and playing in between cars parked in the couple's backyard. The couple said the child had a "goose egg" from bumping his head, but was otherwise believed to be fine. He later went to his room to take a nap and was found unresponsive, the couple said.
However, as the investigation continued, deputies said Shriner admitted she was not present at the time of the child's injuries and that she was told the story by her boyfriend. She said Shiver forced the child to run laps in the backyard as punishment for misbehaving and had spanked the boy to make him run.
A short time later, Shriner said Shiver became agitated with the child again and reportedly told Shriner that he was going to make the boy take nap.
About 20 or 30 minutes later, Shriner's boyfriend came out of the child's bedroom, saying he was unresponsive.
Shiver was charged with aggravated child abuse after deputies concluded that he was the only person alone with the child at the time of the child's injuries.
He is being held on $250,000 bond.