Derick Roman, 27, – who has been employed by Orange County Fire Rescue since December of 2022 – was arrested on Feb. 15 after he admitted to hitting his stepson – as a way to discipline him – a Volusia County arrest affidavit said. The family lives in Deltona.
The boy said his stepfather, Roman, disciplined him by hitting him with a hangar. The Department of Children and Families began investigating possible child abuse on Feb. 1, after the boy was being teased by students about the bruises on his body, an affidavit said.
The boy’s age is not known.
The boy had multiple bruises on his right arm, butt, and other parts of his body, the report said.
The boy told deputies he was disciplined after he accidentally knocked over his younger brother.
“(The boy) tried to say he was being disciplined and it was OK as if this was a normal activity in the home,” the arrest affidavit said.
Roman is the stepfather to three children belonging to Maria Milagros Espinal – who was arrested for child neglect after deputies said she failed to protect her children from Roman’s alleged abuse. Investigators determined that Espinal had full knowledge of the hitting done by Roman, the affidavit said. She said it was OK to hit from the butt down, the report said.
Espinal told investigators when she was growing up she was hit by wooden spoons and “chancletas,” which the investigator said indicated she was OK with the type of discipline in her home. Espinal’s statements indicated she was justifying Roman’s actions of hitting her children, the report said.
The investigator determined that the force used exceeded lawful corporal discipline, the affidavit said. Roman was arrested for willfully committing child abuse upon a child younger than 18 years old.
During the investigation, Roman is relieved of duty from Orange County Fire Rescue without pay following his Feb. 15 arrest.
Orange County Fire Rescue is committed to a thorough review of the matter, the department said.
Both Roman and Espinal are being held in the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond due to the domestic child abuse allegations.
Espinal’s three children are now staying with their grandmother in Deltona.