Mom claims child fell down at SC home. Police say he was beaten close to death
Police were told that a child had fallen down the stairs in Surfside Beach — but the 4-year-old’s life-threatening injuries allegedly told a different story.
Horry County Police responded to reports of a possible unresponsive child in the Myrtle Beach area the night of Sept. 9 2025. When they arrived, medical staff shared that while trying to revive the child with CPR, they discovered extensive bruising and a broken arm.
One of the child’s guardians, Brooke Michele Dieter, told officers that the child had fallen down the stairs a few days ago while playing with another guardian, Ryan Joseph Palmer, police records say.
Dieter shared that she was at work when the fall occurred, and she was told by Palmer, that the 4-year-old had fallen down about 10 stairs while they were playing. Since the incident, she had noticed bruising on the child, who complained of arm pain and became lethargic, the police report states.
She told officers that the child had been throwing up but seemed otherwise normal, the report continues.
Dieter said she went back to work, but later received a call from Palmer saying he was taking the child to South Strand Hospital as he was barely responsive, the report says. Dieter said when she arrived at the hospital, Palmer left to assist a friend as he works in roadside assistance, the report states.
At the hospital, Dieter stated that the child had been beaten by her boyfriend, her arrest warrant states.
Pediatric records showed that Dieter had given the explanation that the child fell down the stairs a month prior to the incident as well, according to the arrest warrant.
Palmer was found at his residence, which was also the incident location, on North Fawn Vista Drive in Surfside Beach by officers, the report states.
During their questioning of Palmer, officers found that he was in possession of narcotics and took him into custody, where they proceeded to question him about the incident with the child, the report continues. Palmer and Dieter originally provided differing stories, according to the report, and the injuries on the child were inconsistent with both stories.
The child was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and medical staff advised that the injuries were consistent with “significant abuse,” the report reads.
The child was placed in Emergency Protective Custody, and both guardians were booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center, where they remain without bail.
Dieter was charged on Oct. 8, 2025, with inflicting or allowing the infliction of great bodily harm on a child, and Palmer is charged with abuse to inflict great bodily harm upon a child as well as possession of a controlled substance in schedule I to V.
Palmer’s suspected abuse caused a “substantial risk of death and serious impairment of bodily members or organs” according to his arrest warrant.
The child suffered a fractured right humerus, a large hematoma in the pelvic region, and bruising on the forehead, torso and abdomen, according to the arrest warrant.
The investigation remains active.
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM.
