Babysitter in custody after 10-month-old dies

BRADENTON (FOX 13) - Bradenton police are trying to piece together what happened after a baby died while being cared for by a babysitter.

a baby before it died is now in their custody. 

Bradenton Police Lieutenant James Racky said officers were called to Manatee Memorial Hospital for a deceased 10-month-old on Tuesday. The baby's grandmother rushed her to the hospital.

"When she picked the 10-month-old up, she noticed the child was cold to the touch," Lt. Racky said.

Police said 21-year-old Eric Neri was caring for the baby and a 3-year-old. Neri is now in police custody.

Investigators said Neri's girlfriend left him at her home to babysit the two children. Within a 3-hour time span, something horrible happened.

"The child had several fractures to the skull. Mid-line in the back. Several bruising to the face and the thigh area. The fractures to the skull were the cause of death," said Lt. Racky. "This kid didn't do it to itself. Gives us a little more incentive to find the person responsible." 

The 3-year-old boy had similar bruising and a brain bleed.

Neri faces charges of child neglect with great bodily harm and child neglect without great bodily harm. More charges could be coming. Police were focused on figuring out exactly what happened and how the baby died.

It was unclear if Neri is related to the children.