ST. Mom Turns Herself in After Boyfriend Allegedly Beat Her 6-Year-Old Son with Autism Nearly to Death

After her boyfriend allegedly beat her son, a nonverbal 6-year-old with autism, to the brink of death, a Florida mom has turned herself in to authorities.

Cynthia Elaine Hernandez, 32, surrendered to police on Friday, Jan. 23, two weeks after her son, Mason, was found in cardiac arrest at a North Miami Beach, Fla., home on Friday, Jan. 9, according to NBC Miami. Police found the child inside with no detectable pulse and performed CPR until he was able to regain a pulse. The boy was then taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, per the outlet.

Though the child ultimately survived, his injuries were extensive. He sustained internal brain bleeding, a fractured arm, bruising on his face and back, swelling on his head, and lacerations to the liver, kidney and spleen, among other injuries, according to NBC Miami.

Hernandez’s boyfriend, Daniel Eduardo Romero, 34, was arrested two days later, on Jan. 11, after allegedly giving conflicting accounts of the events that led to Mason’s injuries, NBC Miami reported, citing arrest records. His mother also gave conflicting stories, per the records.

At one point, Romero — who is not Mason’s biological father, Hernandez told authorities — attributed the child’s injuries to learning how to ride a bicycle, and later changed his story after failing to produce the bike, per authorities cited by NBC Miami. Hernandez initially corroborated this story, but later told authorities that Romero had instructed her to say that they had been riding bikes, according to the arrest report.

She also allegedly said that the day before he was hospitalized, Mason had suffered an injury that Romero attributed to the child falling and hitting his head on a TV, NBC Miami reported. After leaving and returning, she discovered that her son had suffered more injuries, which Romero said he sustained while running indoors with socks on, per the report.

The following day, Mason’s lips began turning blue, so she told Romero to make a 911 call, per NBC Miami.

Hernandez later told investigators that she believed Romero had caused her son’s injuries, the outlet reported, citing the arrest report. She said he became frequently frustrated with Mason due to behavior she attributed to his autism, and similarly became frustrated when their 5-month-old baby cried.

The couple, who have been in an on-and-off relationship since 2023, share two children, NBC Miami reported.

According to the report, Hernandez also claimed that Romero had a short temper and anger issues. She also alleged that previous, unreported domestic violence had occurred. (Romero has two prior convictions for domestic violence, according to NBC Miami.)

Following Hernandez’s Jan. 23 surrender, she and Romero are now both being held at the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department.

Hernandez, who is being held on a $10,500 bond, has been charged with child abuse, as well as child neglect with great bodily harm and providing false information to law enforcement, according to jail records viewed by PEOPLE.

Romero was previously booked into jail without bond, has been charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm, as well as child neglect causing great bodily harm and providing false information to law enforcement, records show.

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In a statement provided to NBC Miami following Hernandez’s surrender, her attorney, Hugo Apellaniz, called the Florida mom a “victim,” and criticized the North Miami Beach Police Department.

“We are extremely disappointed that the N.M.B. Police Department has decided to arrest and press charges against a mother who is nothing more than a victim. People are not perfect, but this is a dire mistake,” Apellaniz said. “The police are aware that our client is also a victim at the hands of Daniel Romero, as unfortunately her son was as well.”

“The focus is on her son’s health and recovery, and we look forward to her being vindicated,” the attorney added.

Apellaniz did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Jan. 24, nor did the North Miami Beach Police Department.