FORT MEADE, Fla. — A woman arrested in Polk County is facing multiple charges, including aggravated manslaughter, following the death of a 2-month-old boy, according to authorities.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff's office say Judith Torres-Garcia, 31, told detectives she was sleeping when she heard the baby crying and woke up. Investigators say she then told them she went to check on the baby and "blacked out."
Hipolito Juarez, 32, who was also in the home, told investigators he "heard a smack" while he was in bed and got up to see what happened, the sheriff's office said.
Juarez said when he got to the room he found Torres-Garcia on the ground with the baby underneath her, according to investigators. He told deputies he picked up the baby who was unresponsive and that's when they called 911, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies say the baby was taken to Tampa General Hospital with a skull fracture. The baby later died from his injuries, according to investigators.
Doctors say the baby had multiple head injuries, contusions on the body, and a right leg injury. Deputies said the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the back of the child's head and ruled a homicide.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said it arrested Torres-Garcia for multiple charges, including aggravated manslaughter.
Deputies say while they were investigating, they found several bags from inside a laundry basket that contained methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia at the home.
Deputies arrested Juarez on drug-related charges.
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