A North Fort Myers man has been charged with child abuse after witnesses told investigators he shoved a child to the ground and held her face in a puddle of urine for urinating on the floor and held another child under water in a bath tub for crying.
Joseph P. Gariano, whose most recent address is listed as 5988 Poetry Court, was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse today.
Detectives with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office began investigating after they received a report of possible child abuse from the Florida Department of Children and Families on Jan. 22.
The report alleged Gariano, age unavailable, had shoved one child to the ground and held her face in a puddle of urine as punishment. Additionally, it was alleged that Gariano submerged another juvenile victim under water in the tub for an undetermined amount of time because he was angry the child had been crying, officials said.
Child Abuse Investigation Unit detectives spoke to witnesses and then met with Gariano today and determined probable cause existed to charge him. He was arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail.

Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office