Mom comes home from work to find baby burned, beaten, Florida cops say. Caregiver charged
An 8-month-old baby was rushed to the hospital when their mom came home after work to find them burned and covered in bruises, a Florida sheriff’s office said.
Now, the baby’s caregiver is charged with child abuse.
On Feb. 18, the baby’s mom left the child in the care of a 33-year-old man while she went to work, according to a Feb. 23 news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
McClatchy News is not identifying the man to protect the identity of the child.
Sometime during her work day, the man called the baby’s mom to tell her the child had reached for a cup of hot chocolate and “accidentally” burned themselves, the sheriff’s office said.
When the mother came home later that day, she looked at her baby and saw more than just a small burn, according to the sheriff’s office.
She noticed bruises “all over” the child’s body, the sheriff’s office said, and rushed the 8-month-old to the hospital.
Doctors found the baby had “suffered severe injuries,” including “injuries to the ears from high-velocity force, broken blood vessels, a non-displaced left parietal fracture, and a significant burn needing skin grafting,” the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators determined the man had caused the injuries and he was taken into custody Feb. 22, according to the sheriff’s office.
He is facing two counts of aggravated child abuse, one count of child abuse and one count of child neglect, the sheriff’s office said.
“The magnitude of this case is indescribable,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. “The thought that someone could inflict such harm on a defenseless eight-month-old baby is sickening.”
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
This story was originally published February 26, 2024 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Mom comes home from work to find baby burned, beaten, Florida cops say. Caregiver charged."
