Mother of woman charged with neglect of son with autism says she’s a victim of domestic violence

The mother of a woman who was charged in connection with the abuse of her 6-year-old son with autism in North Miami Beach said that her daughter is a victim of domestic violence.

Cynthia Hernandez, 32, turned herself in to face charges including child neglect, failure to report child neglect and providing a false statement to law enforcement, officials said.

During her court appearance on Saturday, a judge set Hernandez’s bond at $10,500. She is also not allowed to have contact with the victim.

Hernandez’s charges come after her boyfriend, 34-year-old Daniel Eduardo Romero, was arrested on Jan. 11 on charges including aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm, child neglect with great bodily harm and providing false information to law enforcement, records showed.

NBC6 spoke to Hernandez’s mother, Elizabeth Garcia, who has remained by her daughter’s son as he recovers in the hospital.

Like Hernandez’s lawyers, Garcia believes her daughter was a victim of domestic violence.

“I do believe that for a fact,” she said. “I saw all the signs. Isolation, when she would be with him, you couldn’t contact her. He would have her phone.”

When Hernandez spoke with detectives, she told them Romero had a short temper, had anger problems and would often get irritated with her son because of his neurodevelopmental condition.

Garcia is hoping that her daughter’s story will help others who are in an abusive relationship to get out before it’s too late.

“They have other people out there looking, listening, your listeners, who are in relationships that are like that and I don’t want them to be in fear to step out or walk away,” she said. “And I know that in those kinds of situations, you walk on eggshells, and you also lie to survive.”

Garcia is hoping that Romero is held fully accountable for his actions.