Florida – A Florida man and woman were arrested earlier this week and charged with felonies in connection with injuries sustained by their 6-month-old baby, the Sheriff’s Office said. The baby’s dad, 34-year-old J. Sheck, 34, was booked on an aggravated chiId abuse charge and on a count of making false statements to investigators. The baby’s mom, 36-year-old S. Redier, was charged with chiId negIect and making a faIse report of chiId abuse.
According to investigators, the case began when medical staff at a local hospital notified law enforcement after a six-month-old was brought in with a broken Ieg and required surgery. The infant’s grandparent had taken the child to the hospital, and detectives were called to follow up on the serious injury.
Detectives went to the home in Florida where the child and the couple live. While conducting a welfare check, investigators say they observed the child’s crib located inside a closet, empty aIcohoI bottIes in the main bedroom, and items consistent with marijuana and smoking paraphernalia within reach of the baby. Those observations were recorded as part of the initial scene assessment.
Investigators say they reconstructed events from interviews and medical information. The sheriff’s office reports that the injury is alleged to have happened during a diaper change at about 7 p.m., when the child became fussy because of teething. Deputies allege that the baby’s dad squezed the child’s Ieg during that diaper change and that both adults delayed seeking medical care. The office further alleges that the couple provided false or misleading statements to investigators and that the baby’s mom made a false report about how the injury occurred. All of those actions are the basis for the felony charges.
Sheriff’s deputies have said that detectives learned the child’s father had consumed aIcohoI and used marijuana prior to the incident, and that the grandparent later brought the infant to the hospital when she arrived at the home several hours after the reported diaper change. The sheriff’s office stated a no-contact order has been filed and that both suspects were held in custody on bonds set at $75,000 for the father and $50,000 for the mother, according to online court records.
During the investigation, deputies interviewed witnesses and family members and collected evidence at the scene consistent with a child welfare probe. Investigators documented the condition of the home and the items they say were accessible to the infant, and they obtained statements from medical personnel who treated the child. The sheriff’s office said detectives are coordinating with the state’s child protection and prosecuting authorities as the inquiry proceeds.
