BARTOW, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Bartow Police Department said they worked together to investigate and arrest a man for his alleged involvement in the death of his four-month-old daughter.
Bartow Police started the investigation after the four-month-old, Willow, was brought to Bartow Regional Medical Center with no brain activity and physical injuries on Feb. 22.
Police said Willow was ultimately transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where she later died. Doctors determined she had a fractured skull, hemorrhaging to the brain, bruises, scratches, and broken ribs.
According to Sheriff Grady Judd, a detective conducted interviews with both the father, Jacob Kubai, and his wife. The detective said neither was able to explain how Willow got her injuries.
During the investigation, the detective said Jacob told them about his day with Willow before arriving at the hospital.
According to Judd, Jacob was watching his daughter at home while his wife — the child’s mom — was at work in Lakeland.
“So she’s working two jobs, and Jacob’s staying home with a baby," Judd said.
Jacob told the detective Willow was fine when the two of them were at a local store between 6:40 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. He told PCSO that he returned home, fed Willow, and when he went to check on her around 8:10 p.m. he discovered she was unresponsive.
However, according to Judd, detectives and officers discovered inconsistencies with Jacob's explanation.
Detectives obtained security video from the store Jacob visited. The video showed Jacob at a self-checkout register, but Willow was not seen in it.
Officials said that when they confronted Jacob about the inconsistencies, he refused to provide any additional information.
On Feb. 27, the autopsy performed on Willow by the medical examiner revealed multiple blunt-force trauma injuries to the front of the baby's head, a swollen and hemorrhaged spine, and an acute skull fracture on the back of the head. Officials reported the rib fractures found were in the healing stage.
PCSO said in the arrest affidavit that the autopsy conclusion stated, "Based on the injuries noted, the skull fracture would have been caused by the caregiver at that time. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma of the head. The manner of death was ruled as a homicide."
“Normal society can’t understand this kind of person," Sheriff Judd said. "Well, I can tell you from a great deal of experience that a lifelong law enforcement officer can’t understand this type of person either.”
Authorities said the injuries occurred while the child's mother was at work, and Jacob was the sole caregiver of Willow for three hours before being taken to the hospital.
“The baby was literally beaten to death, and the only person that was home with the baby at the time was Jacob," Judd said in a news conference. “Here’s one that I wonder why God allows him to breathe air.”
Judd added that Jacob never showed remorse or offered an explanation.
“He started saying things like, ‘None of this is real. My wife’s not real. My baby’s not real,'" the sheriff said.
According to the sheriff's office, detectives also learned that on at least two occasions, Jacob left the baby alone with no caregiver.
PCSO charged Jacob Kubai with aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated child abuse, and knowingly abusing a child without bodily harm.
