Octavius Wiggins

City of West Palm Beach
Police Department
PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT
OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

FL0500800
DEFENDANT: Octavius S. Wiggins Race: B Sex: M DOB: 10/02/1990
VICTIM: JB
Local Address: 5002 Webster Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL Phone: (561) 414-8378
On November 1, 2018, the 22monthold victim, J.B., was
transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center with multiple bruises and
abrasions to his face, bruises to his chest, abdomen, legs, back and
penis. The victim suffered paralysis to his upper body and had a
collapsed lung. Medical staff said the victim appeared dehydrated and
his raised liver enzyme levels were consistent with inflicted trauma.
The victim required a tracheostomy tube to assist him with breathing
due to the paralysis.
During a noncustodial voluntary sworn statement, the victim’s
mother said the victim sustained the facial injuries from falling at a
park and in her back yard. She said her boyfriend, Octavius Wiggins
(DEFENDANT), also watched the victim and that he must have caused the
other injuries.
During a search of the victim’s residence, one of the victim’s
shirts was located with what appeared to be blood stains.
On November 2, 2018, during a Child Protection Team forensic
interview, the victim’s 5yearold sibling said “Tay” (DEFENDANT)
lives at their house. He said Tay was with the victim when he fell in
the road. He said Tay gave the victim a “whooping” with his hands and
put things in the victim’s mouth. He said Tay whooped the victim with
his hands on his lip and that their mother was there and crying.
On November 6, 2018, the victim was examined by CPT. CPT had
positive findings for physical abuse and noted the following injuries:
“7 regions of facial bruising, to include contusions to the forehead
x4, right eyelid with breaks in the skin, contusion to region just
inferior to the right eye, abrasion with scabbing of supratip,
infratip lobule, rhinion and left alar nasi, contusion upper lip with
swelling/dried blood, contusions to the right and left upper chest
SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me
____________________________________ ___________________________________
OFFICER (F.S.S. 117.10) SIGNATURE OF ARRESTING OFC
Detective Sgt L. Colombino #1475 Detective M.
Vertefeuille #1788
April 18, 2019
April 18, 2019
1
Police Department
OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

FL0500800
VICTIM: JB
with areas of faint partial outlines, right chest/upper abdomen with
erythema (palmar in size), associated with contusion superiorly,
bruising with partial outline at the right mid lateral abdomen, blue
red bruising left groin region, ecchymosis anterior thighs
bilaterally, 2 gouge marks with dried blood left base of neck
posteriorly, contusions to upper and mid back.” The victim’s multiple
injuries all over his body are consistent with physical abuse and
being struck with a belt.
On November 24, 2018, the victim “had an abrupt cardiorespiratory
decompensation” (cardiac arrest). The victim’s tracheostomy tube was
“clogged with a thick plug of secretions.” The victim was declared
dead at 12:36 PM. Per the Medical Examiner report, the Cause of Death
was “Complications of Spinal Cord Injury” due to “Blunt Impact to
Neck.” The Manner of Death was a Homicide. The victim suffered a
spinal cord injury due to being struck in the back at the base of the
neck with a belt, which caused quadriparesis and respiratory failure.
Due to this, the victim required a tracheostomy tube to assist with
breathing. On this date, the tube became clogged by a mucous plug
which caused asphyxia.

During a second noncustodial voluntary sworn statement, the
victim’s mother said that she met with the DEFENDANT on November 18,
2018, and the DEFENDANT admitted to striking the victim with the belt.
On December 14, 2018, your Affiant met CPT Dr. Rosenstein to
discuss the victim’s injuries. Dr. Rosenstein identified an injury
near the victim’s spinal cord that could have caused the victim’s
paralysis. The injury is consistent with being struck by a belt and
per the ME report, the victim died from complications of a spinal cord
injury due to a blunt impact to his neck.
____________________________________ ___________________________________
Vertefeuille #1788
April 18, 2019
April 18, 2019
2
Police Department
OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

FL0500800
VICTIM: JB
On April 15, 2019, during a post Miranda interview, the victim’s
mother said that on November 1, 2018, she left her residence and left
the victim in the care of the DEFENDANT. She said the victim had no
fresh injuries. She returned later the same day, approximately 30
minutes before 911 was called. She said the DEFENDANT brought the
victim to her from his bedroom. She said the victim was alert and
looking at her but his body was completely limp. She said the victim’s
face was telling her something was wrong. She asked the DEFENDANT what
he did to the victim and the DEFENDANT told her “all I did was beat
him with a beat.” She told him he did more than just beat him with a
belt. The DEFENDANT told her he “blacked out.” She removed the
victim’s bloodstained shirt and noticed more injuries to the victim’s
chest and abdomen. She ultimately called 911. The victim’s mother,
Stephanie Robinson was arrested and charged with Neglect of a Child
Causing Great Bodily Harm.
During a recorded telephone call from the victim’s mother to the
DEFENDANT, the DEFENDANT admitted to beating the victim with a belt.
Text message records between the DEFENDANT and the victim’s
mother dating from before the victim’s presentation at the hospital
through the time of his death, revealed the DEFENDANT lived with her
and the victim, and at times was the caretaker for the victim. The
victim’s mother sent a text message discussing the victim’s behavior,
to which the DEFENDANT replied “Well when I get home IMA get on they
ass.” Text messages revealed the victim’s facial injuries occurred
while the DEFENDANT was the victim’s caretaker. The DEFENDANT sent a
text message at the time the victim was transported to the hospital
which read “Bae IMA fkn dumbass mam fr Bae when u get up there just
don’t let them be holling my name.” She replied “ya” to which he said,
“Like u know don’t be letting the kids or grama then tlkn bout it’s
the bf.” The text messages revealed the DEFENDANT was home and cleaned
____________________________________ ___________________________________
Vertefeuille #1788
April 18, 2019
April 18, 2019
3
Police Department
OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

FL0500800
VICTIM: JB
the kitchen floor (possible crime scene) prior to police arrival to
search the residence. The DEFENDANT and the victim’s mother
coordinated to make sure the DEFENDANT wasn’t home when police or DCF
arrived. When discussing the victim’s injuries, the DEFENDANT texted
“They gone give me life man.”
It should be noted that the DEFENDANT was suspected of fracturing
the victim’s arm in June 2018. The DEFENDANT told Riviera Beach Police
detectives that he grabbed the victim’s arms “forcefully” and pulled
him off the bed. When he did that, part of the bed frame collapsed on
the victim’s arm. He apologized to the victim’s mother and said he did
not mean to do it.
Based on the aforementioned, the DEFENDANT has a history of
abusing the victim. During this incident, it’s evident based on phone
records that the DEFENDANT was the victim’s sole caretaker at the time
the victim sustained numerous injuries. Furthermore, the DEFENDANT
admitted to the victim’s mother that he struck the victim with a belt
and sent the text message “They gone give me life man.” in reference
to the injuries. The injuries inflicted by the DEFENDANT were severe
enough to hospitalize the victim and ultimately lead to the victim’s
death. Based on this, I find probable cause exists to arrest Octavius
S. Wiggins and charge him in violation of F.S.S. 782.07(3) Aggravated
Manslaughter of a Child and F.S.S. 827.03(2A) Aggravated Child Abuse.
____________________________________ ___________________________________
Vertefeuille #1788
April 18, 2019
April 18, 2019
4

Octavius Wiggins

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Octavius Wiggins

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Octavius Wiggins

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

City of West Palm Beach

OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me

OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me

OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me

OBTS # CASE #2018-0018168

SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me

You might also like