UPDATED: Child Death Investigation / Arrest
ST. PETERSBURG — Police have announced an arrest in the death of a 4-year-old child following an incident inside a residence on Tuesday afternoon.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 27, 2026, officers responded to a report of a person bleeding inside a home at 1760 Tanglewood Drive NE. Upon arrival, officers encountered a 16-year-old girl who reported that when she returned home from school, she found her mother holding her 4-year-old brother on a bed. Blood was observed in the bedroom and throughout the residence.
The child was identified as Finley Joseph Cullom (DOB: 11/12/21). He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The child’s mother, 43-year-old Diana Elizabeth Cullom, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds and was transported to Bayfront Hospital. Police said her injuries were self-inflicted and not life-threatening. She was released from the hospital overnight.
Following examination by the medical examiner, authorities determined the child did not suffer stab wounds. The cause of death was ruled as suffocation.
Diana Cullom was booked into the Pinellas County Jail shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of her son.
Investigators stated no one else was inside the home at the time of the incident, and there is no indication of any ongoing threat to the community.
The investigation remains active, and the scene continued to be processed on Wednesday morning. No additional details are being released at this time.