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A chilling video showed officers fighting to save the life of a disabled six-year-old after his mother allegedly lied to back her abusive boyfriend’s story.
Daniel Eduardo Romero, 34, was arrested on January 12 after police found his girlfriend’s autistic son, Mason, severely tortured and and without a pulse, per court documents obtained by Daily Mail.
Body camera footage showed the harrowing moment police ran into the Florida home on January 9, and found Mason’s mother, who is unnamed in the report, holding his lifeless body, wrapped in a fleece blanket.
Mason had 'turned blue, with no color in his lips,' as an officer is seen shaking his leg to check for a response before beginning CPR.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived and were able to restore his pulse before Mason was taken to the hospital, where he is currently in the ICU.
Romero told police that he was teaching the six-year-old to ride a bicycle just the day before, when he fell and was bruised all over, per the report.
Officers asked to see the bike, but Romero was quick to change his story, and said they were using a small wagon. When Romero showed police the wagon, it looked rusty and unused.
Body camera footage of the North Miami Beach Police officers rushing to save six-year-old Mason's life, who they found pulseless and unresponsive, but were able to regain a pulse after CPR
Mason is a six-year-old boy with autism, his grandmother created a GoFundMe to help him heal from his severe injuries
Mason suffered a broken arm, leg, and shoulder, along with a brain bleed, and was left unable to respond, according to the GoFundMe
The 34-year-old claimed he wasn't outside when Mason fell, and that he didn't seem too hurt, but his injuries worsened the next day, on January 9.
He claimed him and his girlfriend attempted to revive the boy by throwing water on him, but called 911 when he didn't wake up.
Mason's mother initially corroborated Romero's bicycle story, then later admitted he told her to lie.
She told police that the day before Mason was hospitalized he suffered more grave injuries, which Romero claimed were from slipping or falling.
But the next day Mason went pulseless, ending up in critical condition on a ventilator at the hospital.
The mother also told investigators Romero is not the child’s biological father and their relationship has been on and off since 2023.
She added that she believed Romero was responsible for Mason’s injuries, and that he had a 'short temper, anger problems, and previous unreported incidents of domestic violence,' per the report.
Medical staff found Mason had severe injuries, including brain and abdominal bleeding, and lacerations to his liver and spleen.
According to the report, a doctor Mason’s injuries didn’t match accidental falls and were consistent with blunt force trauma.
More body camera footage from the officer taking life-saving measures to resuscitate the six-year-old
His grandmother called Mason a 'beautiful, loving little boy with the purest soul,' and their family's miracle as he was one of three triplets, but was the only one who survived
The young boy is currently stable in the ICU, but he has a very long and difficult road ahead, his grandmother said
Daniel Eduardo Romero, 34, was arrested on January 12 and slapped with a slew of charges, including child abuse, after police found his girlfriend’s autistic son severely abused
The six-year-old is stable and 'has a long road ahead of him', per his GoFundMe created by his grandmother.
'Mason is autistic and a beautiful, loving little boy with the purest soul. From the moment he was born, he has been a fighter,' it read.
'[He] was born a triplet, but tragically his brother and sister did not survive. Mason is our miracle — the only survivor — and he has fought for his life since day one.'
Romero was charged with aggravated child abuse, child neglect causing great bodily harm, and providing false information to law enforcement.
He was booked into jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on January 22.