Sheriff: Illegal Immigrant Charged With ‘Horrendous’ Manslaughter Of 3-Year-Old In Cantonment
March 6, 2026
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons has announced the arrest of a 28-year-old Cantonment man following the death of his 3-year-old nephew, describing the case as “horrendous and despicable”.
The suspect, Samuel Antonio Maldonado Erazo, is currently charged with negligent manslaughter, though Simmons indicated that more severe charges are being considered as the investigation continues The sheriff said Maldonado Erazo is in the country illegally.
The case began on Wednesday night, March 4 when deputies responded to a report of a 3-year-old in cardiac arrest in the 1900 block of Brentco Road. Despite the efforts of first responders, the child was pronounced dead.
The subsequent autopsy performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office revealed a harrowing pattern of physical trauma. Simmons reported that the child suffered from 17 separate strikes to the head, burn marks caused by a lighter being heated and pressed into the skin, multiple broken ribs, with one being completely detached from the backbone, a transected pancreas, which is a rare injury typically only seen in cases of extreme blunt-force trauma, and signs of possible sexual abuse and a broken collarbone.
“The injuries to the child are hard to talk about and even harder to imagine having to endure,” the sheriff said.
Investigators said the injuries were in various stages of healing, suggesting the child had been subjected to a cycle of violence over a significant period.
A Failure to Act
The Sheriff explained that the child ended up in the care of Maldonado Erazo after the boy’s mother and aunt were deported. Despite the child showing signs of “extreme distress” throughout the final day of his life, Maldonado Erazo allegedly failed to seek medical help, instead taking the boy to work with him until “the child declined to a state of cardiac arrest”.
Seeking Maximum Accountability
While the current charge is negligent manslaughter, Sheriff Simmons made it clear that the Sheriff’s Office is collaborating closely with the State Attorney’s Office to upgrade the charges.
“As I speak here today, that 3-year-old boy’s body lies at the county morgue,” Simmons said. “But he’s not there. He is pain-free in the arms of our Lord, and his killer, Samuel Antonio Maldonado Erazo…will answer for these crimes in this life and beyond.
County Commission Affirms Administrator’s Decision To Hire Christal Bell-Rivera As Library Director
March 6, 2026
Thursday night, the Escambia County Commission affirmed the county administrator’s decision to hire Christal Bell-Rivera as the next library services director, rejecting recommendations from the West Florida Library Board of Governance (BOG) that ranked two other candidates higher.
The BOG recommended Bradley Vinson, current coordinator of media services for the Escambia County School District, as its top choice to run the library system. The BOG’s second choice was Chris Hare, current division manager for WFPL.
According to the county, the administrator has the sole decision on employe hires, with the board only voting to approve or disapprove. The commission only appoints the county administrator and county attorney.
Administrator Wes Moreno’s decision came under fire because Bell-Rivera did not meet minimum qualifications without a master’s degree in library science, which opponents argued would cause the county to not receive state grants. She is currently a candidate to receive the degree this year.
Assistant County Administrator Debbie Bowers, who attended the commission meeting for an absent Moreno, said that while the position was advertised with certain educational requirements, it also included “an equivalent experience” provision. She said Bell-Rivera had proven herself as an assistant and interim director at the helm of a library system with a $12 million budget and 111 employees.
“Christal has equivalent experience,” Bowers said. “I think that she has done a great job.”
Bowers said BOG and public concerns are moot regarding the library system potentially losing state funding after receiving assurances from the state library system. “We were assured that we could be eligible for the funding,” Bowers added.
“Sometimes you have to hire somebody for the heart that they have for the community, for the job that they are doing, and sometimes that’s not exactly what’s on the job description,” District 4 Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger said. “Sometimes the heart that somebody has, and the passion they have for the job that they do, along with other relevant experience, combines and makes them the perfect fit for the job.”
“Doing the job is more than meeting a minimum requirement, if you’ve actually been doing the job successfully,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “By accounts from administration, she has been.”
“It’s our administrator’s decision to hire who he thinks is best qualified,” District 1 Commissioner Steve Stroberger said. “I’m sure he took everything into account, and I trust his decision.”
A motion by Barry and seconded by Stroberger to affirm Moreno’s decision to hire Bell-Rivera passed 4-1 with District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler voting against.
Kohler said he found out on Thursday that Bell-Rivera did not meet the qualifications for the position, and said the commission does not listen enough to its citizen advisory boards.
Mayor Enthusiastic About Century’s Future After Regional Economic Forum
March 6, 2026
Century Mayor Ben Boutwell left Miramar Beach Thursday afternoon encouraged and enthusiastic about future opportunities for Century.
Boutwell, Town Administrator Dave Murzin, and Town Council President Dynette Lewis attended the two-day 2026 FPL Northwest Florida Economic Summit with business, civic, and community leaders from across the Panhandle. It’s known as the premier forum for bringing leaders together to collaborate, share ideas, and look forward at the economic future of Northwest Florida.
“It was a very good event for Century to attend,” Boutwell said. “As I was talking to people, I was really pushing economic development for Century.”
A big focus of his conversations was an industrial park with ready-to-build lots with infrastructure already in place. “The industrial park could be vital for us; it’s a blank canvas,” Boutwell said.
District 5 Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board member and chairman Kevin Stephens said that he, Boutwell, and Rep. Michelle Salzman spent a lot of time talking about Century. He said they talked about infrastructure needs, including wastewater treatment plant upgrades, even suggesting ECUA could assist the town.
“As you know,” Stephens said, “ECUA has a lot of experience building a new sewer treatment plant and we would be a great resource for collaboration.”
Pictured top: District 5 Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board member and chairman Kevin Stephens, Rep. Michelle Salzman, Century Mayor Ben Boutwell, and Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons at the 2026 FPL Northwest Florida Economic Summit in Miramar Beach. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.