Main: Anthony Grove being questioned by deputies on March 21 (Volusia County Sheriff's Office). Inset: Grove following his arrest for killing his son (Ohio Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation).
A 44-year-old father from Ohio who spent years in prison for killing his infant son with a coffee mug is back behind bars after being arrested in Florida during spring break after he allegedly attempted to use his dead child to appear sympathetic to authorities.
Anthony Benjamin Grove was taken into custody in Daytona Beach last week on several charges, including violating his parole in connection with his conviction for killing his son, authorities announced.
According to a probable cause affidavit, at 4 p.m. on March 21, patrol deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office observed two men in the 700 block of North Beach Street sitting on a sea wall and drinking from an opened bottle of whiskey. One of the men was identified as Grove.
A criminal background check revealed that Grove had multiple warrants out for his arrest in Ohio. The Ohio State Patrol confirmed that Grove was on parole for domestic involuntary manslaughter and had an active warrant for a parole violation issued on Oct. 29, 2025.
The conditions of Grove's parole included obeying all federal, state, and local laws and obtaining a written travel permit prior to leaving the state of Ohio.
"We find the guy sitting on the seawall drinking booze is wanted out of Ohio," Chief Deputy Brian Henderson said in a video posted to Facebook.
Henderson said deputies were conducting heightened patrols amid spring break crowds, which had been particularly unruly of late.
"So we arrested the one individual for the open container and asked this guy his name," Henderson said.
While running a background check, Henderson made small talk with Grove, who allegedly invoked the memory of his dead son in an effort to appear more sympathetic to authorities.
"I asked him if he had any kids, generally as an ice breaker when you're kind of trying to figure out someone," Henderson said in an interview with local Fox affiliate WEWS. "And he said, 'Yeah, I had two kids, and one passed away.' So I showed him some sympathy about 'Man, I'm really sorry to hear that.' Well, he obviously left out one of the big parts."
Henderson told the station he was not happy when he discovered how Grove's son had died.
"As a father, that really p—ed me off that some guy would try to get sympathy from a stranger over the loss of his child, knowing that he's the reason his child is dead," he said.
Grove had been convicted in 2015 in connection with the death of his 2-month-old son, Zeeland.
According to a 2015 report from the Associated Press, Grove got into an argument with the child's mother while she was holding the infant and threw a ceramic mug at her. The mug missed the mother but struck the baby in the head. The child was taken to Akron Children's Hospital for treatment where he died hours later.
Grove, who was initially charged with murder, ultimately pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangering and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was released in 2023.
"This is the kind of people we don't need on our beach, we don't need in our community, and I'm glad we can get him off the sand," Henderson added.
Florida authorities said Grove also faces new charges, including failure to properly register as a convicted felon and possession of cannabis under 20 grams.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said it is working with Ohio officials to extradite Grove back to the state to face charges for allegedly violating his parole. He is currently being held in the Volusia County Jail without bond, records show.