http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler...tect-boyfriend

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Florida (WKMG) -- A woman dangled her 3-year-old
son out a Volusia County apartment window while trying to hide him from
authorities who were investigating her boyfriend, who is a registered
sex offender, according to police.

Deeanna M. Murray, 24, and Phillip Perry Heidt, 20, were arrested early
Thursday morning on charges of felony child abuse. Heidt, who was
arrested in January for being in contact with children but had since
been released, was also charged with violation of probation.

According to Daytona Beach Shores police, officers went to Heidt's
apartment after receiving an anonymous call about midnight. The caller
said Heidt had children in his apartment, located on South Atlantic
Avenue in Daytona Beach Shores, police said. As part of Heidt's
probation from a 2008 conviction of lewd and lascivious molestation of a
child in Pasco County, he is prohibited from having any contact with
children unless approved by a judge, police said.

According to police, Heidt told officers that he and Murray were alone
in the apartment. Officers became suspicious, however, when Murray
refused to step out of the bathroom located at the rear of the
apartment, police said.

Heidt then spoke briefly to Murray at the bathroom door, but officers
could not hear what was said, police said. A short time later, officers
heard the cries of a child coming from the bathroom, police said.

An officer entered the bathroom and saw Murray lowering her 3-year-old
son by his arm out the window, police said. Four feet below was a
narrow, flat roof with no edge or railing, and concrete was 10 feet
below the roof, police said.

According to police, the officer ordered Murray to pull the child back
into the window, and she complied.

Daytona Beach Shores police said Murray apparently also intended to
lower her 2-year-old daughter out the window, as the child was also
found in the bathroom.

Murray later told officers that Heidt told her to lower the children out
the window when he spoke to her at the bathroom door, police said.

"The child could have fallen off the roof it was pitch black out. He
(the child) would have fallen another 10 feet," Detective Micheal
Fowler, with the Daytona Beach Shores Police Department said Thursday.

Neighbors were disturbed to hear what lengths Murray went to, to protect
her boyfriend.

"You don't do stuff like that. Those kids could have gotten hurt. Now
mom goes to jail and I feel sorry for the kids," a neighbor said.

Neither child was injured and both were placed in the custody of the
Florida Department of Children and Families.

Heidt was being held on no bond. Murray is out on bond.

WKMG Local 6