ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man was arrested in St. Petersburg on Monday after an infant sustained life-changing neurological injuries as a result of severe child abuse, police say.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, on March 26, a 7-month-old boy was taken to the hospital with injuries. Hospital officials were told that the child fell but determined that the injuries were not obtained by accident. They believe that the child sustained severe abusive head and body trauma.
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According to an arrest report, medical tests and evaluations, including a CPT exam affirmed abrupt onset of serious neurological symptoms as well as multilayer retinal hemorrhages with retinoschisis. Both of these are consistent with abusive head trauma.
"These findings are the result of high force acceleration/deceleration and rotational trauma to the brain, with shearing injury of the corpus callosum," the arrest report states.
Police say that the infant also had evidence of blunt force trauma to his liver, spleen, gallbladder, duodenum and pancreas.
"Due to the injuries sustained by the victim, the victim is unable to sustain life without proper 24/7 medical care," the arrest report reads.
As a result of these injuries, medical personnel notified the St. Pete Police Department.
Police were able to determine that Nakye Jaquon Williams, 25, was the child's sole caretaker at the time the injuries were sustained. Williams had fled by the time police had tried to speak to him. A warrant was then issued for Williams arrest and he was eventually picked up by U.S. Marshals, police tell ABC Action News.
According to police, the child's mother was not present at the time the injuries were sustained. She has not been charged.
Police are unable to state the relationship between Williams and the child.
Williams was arrested for child abuse, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. His bond for the child abuse charge was set to $500,000.
Prior to his arrest, Williams had an active murder warrant out of Orange County, Florida. On this charge, he is being held without bond and is awaiting trial.
