A Maryland man vacationing with his family in the Bahamas was found dead at a private beach resort hours after landing on the Caribbean island — as his mother claimed her son was “beaten to death.”
Dinari McAlmont, 23, traveled to the tropical getaway with his parents on April 4, where they had been staying at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort.
McAlmont, who is from Bowie, Md., was last seen having dinner with his parents when he left to grab a jacket and explore the resort just before 9 p.m., according to Fox 5 Washington DC.
Resort officials questioned his mother on where he was as they accused him of spitting on several staff members inside a restaurant.
“The police said they were looking for him because apparently he spat on some staff in a restaurant,” Michelle McAlmont told the outlet.
The loving mother said her son’s phone location was not working before she filed a missing person’s report.
The older McAlmont said she could not corroborate the resort’s allegations against her son.
Officials searched the resort until McAlmont’s body was discovered on the shoreline on Paradise Island with “no vital life signs” just after 5:30 a.m. on April 5, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
An investigation was opened into the cause of death.
Officials aren’t declaring the death as a murder until the results of an autopsy are released, according to the outlet.
A photo of McAlmont’s lifeless body on the beach was taken and shown to his mother, which she claimed was the hardest thing she ever had to do as her son looked unrecognizable with his injuries.
“When I looked at the photo they showed me, my son was beaten; he was traumatized,” Michelle McAlmont told Bahamian outlet Eyewitness News.
The grieving mother said the photo captured her son’s damaged face, with froth on his teeth and sand in his hair.
“That tells me they beat my son down in the sand. I need justice for my baby. I need justice,” she added.
Michelle McAlmont said she was left with mixed emotions, feeling anger, frustration and a lot of hatred after her son’s death.
“What could I have done differently to protect my child and keep him safe, that he would be alive today,” she told Fox 5 Washington DC.
McAlmont’s parents are searching for a lawyer who specializes in international relations while awaiting the outcome of the police investigation.
“I would expect nothing more than a full and thorough investigation,” Michelle McAlmont said.
The Bahamian resort said it is working with police during the investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our guests. Our thoughts and condolences are with the guest’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. This is an active police investigation, and we are fully cooperating,” the resort told Fox 5 Washington DC.
The US Department of State advised Americans against traveling to the Bahamas, placing a level 2 advisory on the Caribbean nation.
The “Exercise Increase Caution” level was announced on March 30 as the country has experienced serious crimes and deaths against tourists visiting the island.
Violent crimes—like armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults—can occur anywhere in The Bahamas.
The warning specifies most crimes happen in the main cities of Nassau and Freeport.
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