Tara Alexis Sykes, a 36-year-old woman from Florida, has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse following a disturbing incident involving a 10-year-old boy. Authorities revealed that Sykes allegedly communicated with the child via the popular online game Roblox, where she gave explicit instructions to harm a 2-month-old baby and attempt to kill the adults in their household. The investigation began after the Gulf Coast Kids House reported that the infant had been seriously injured when the boy dropped the baby on a solid tile floor.
The investigation uncovered chilling details about Sykes’ influence on the child. According to reports, she directed the boy to drown the infant in a bathtub, burn the baby with hot water, and drop the baby on the floor in an attempt to kill it. The communication threads between the two also revealed that Sykes coached the child on how to kill the adults in the home. She allegedly instructed the boy to slit their throats while they slept and set the house on fire by soaking bed sheets with aerosol spray and igniting them. The boy followed some of these directives, dousing the sheets, but did not manage to carry out the full instructions.
The 2-month-old baby suffered significant injuries from being dropped on the kitchen floor. The case has deeply shaken law enforcement, with Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons expressing his shock, noting, “In over 40 years of law enforcement, I have never encountered anything like this. It’s disturbing to think anyone could even imagine these acts, let alone encourage a child to carry them out.”
The ongoing investigation will seek to uncover more details and determine if additional charges are warranted. Sykes currently faces charges of attempted murder while engaging in aggravated child abuse, but officials are examining every aspect of the case to ensure justice is served.