Jessica Vlasak, a 42-year-old nurse from Lakeland, Florida, has been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after the death of her three-month-old son, August Lionel.
The infant died on September 6 after Vlasak called 911 around midnight to report that he was unresponsive, according to the Daily Mail. Paramedics rushed the baby to Orlando Health Medical, where doctors were unable to save him despite their efforts.
What she told police
In her initial statement, Vlasak said she had accidentally fallen asleep while the baby was in bed and woke to find him not moving and not breathing.
Investigators grew suspicious of that account after the baby was found with abrasions and bruises on his head.
The father's statement
The investigation shifted direction after the baby's father, Quinton Rosario, gave a statement to police. He said Vlasak becomes violent when she drinks alcohol, and claimed she had bought alcoholic drinks on the day of the tragedy.
Central to the case is a text message Rosario said Vlasak sent him that same night. According to Rosario, she wrote that she thought she had killed their son. He handed the message to investigators, and it is now part of the evidence being examined in the case.
Vlasak was arrested on September 10. According to a statement from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, she is charged with aggravated child abuse that resulted in the death of the three-month-old boy who was in her care. Lakeland sits in Polk County, in central Florida.
What the autopsy found
An autopsy found that the baby had suffered a subdural hematoma in the skull. The medical examiner reportedly identified three separate injuries to his head, one of which showed characteristics consistent with a blow from a small, square-shaped object, according to the report.
That finding led investigators to examine whether the injury could be linked to a diamond ring Vlasak was wearing at the time of her arrest. Authorities believe the child may have been struck with significant force, though the case remains under investigation.
Vlasak is being held without bail at a Polk County correctional facility as investigators continue to examine the exact circumstances of the baby's death.
