Lakeland mom arrested after ring linked to baby's deadly injuries: ‘I think I killed our son’
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
LAKELAND, Fla. - A 42-year-old Lakeland woman faces an aggravated child abuse charge after an autopsy revealed a 3-month-old boy died from violent head impacts rather than an accidental co-sleeping event, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Polk County murder investigation
What we know:
Emergency responders went to a Lakeland home late Sunday, Sept. 6, after receiving a report about an unresponsive baby boy, according to an arrest affidavit. Medics brought the infant to Orlando Health Medical in Lakeland, where doctors pronounced him dead shortly after arrival with visible head bruising and abrasions, deputies said.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Jessica Vlasac initially told investigators she accidentally fell asleep in bed with the baby and woke up to find him face down, cold and unresponsive. Deputies also said she made statements such as, "I think I killed our son," and said she believed it happened while she was asleep.
However, Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Nelson identified three separate impact injuries to the infant's forehead and skull. Dr. Nelson said he discovered a 1.7 cm by 1 cm L-shaped mark matching a square object, later linking the injury to a square-like object.
After the autopsy, detectives said they interviewed Vlasac again and saw her wearing a large, diamond-like stone ring on her ring finger that was consistent with the large, square-like shape mentioned in the autopsy. Detectives executed a search warrant for Vlasac’s devices, as well as her ring. During the search, they said that Vlasac spontaneously asked if the ring was what killed the baby.
According to PCSO, text messages retrieved from the night of the incident showed Vlasac bought alcoholic shots earlier that day, sent messages stating she killed the infant, and later asked the child's father to delete the text history.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
Lakeland infant death charges
What we don't know:
Authorities have not confirmed whether additional charges will be added as the ongoing investigation continues. Officials have not released the specific name of the 3-month-old infant or detailed the full extent of deleted digital messages.
Polk County Jail booking
What's next:
Deputies booked Vlasac into the Polk County Jail following her arrest Thursday, Sept. 10. The Polk County Sheriff's Office stated the criminal investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, who provided the arrest affidavit details, as well as Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Nelson.