LAKELAND, Fla. — A man is charged with the murder of a one-year-old child after police say he tried to cover up what happened with a lie.
During a press conference on Monday, Lakeland police said they arrested 20-year-old Bobby Curry Jr. for the death of Ezekiel Cotto-Saintfleur on Friday.
According to Police Chief Sam Taylor, officers responded to a scene on Tuesday, March 5 at a home on Kansas Avenue regarding a report of an unresponsive child where Curry was at the time.
When they arrived, authorities reportedly found Cotto-Saintfleur lying on a bathroom floor without a pulse. Officers performed CPR until the city's fire department arrived to also perform life-saving measures.
Taylor says Cotto-Saintfleur was transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, then Tampa General Hospital with critical injuries. On Friday, March 8, the child died while in care.
Authorities say Curry was babysitting while the boy's mother was working. The two were said to be in a relationship for about four months and were living with each other for about two weeks.
Curry explained to authorities that he just finished giving Cotto-Saintfleur a bath after the child wet himself when their puppy came in, leaped on the child and caused him to hit his head on the bathtub and then on the bathroom floor. Curry told police Cotto-Saintfleur tensed up after the fall, but was still breathing. He did not immediately call 911 after the incident.
After leaving him on the bed to rest, Curry checked on Ezekiel to find him not breathing at all.
"Curry put Ezekiel back on the bathroom floor, which is tile, and gave him chest compressions and some air," Taylor explained. "He said Ezekiel then began taking breaths and was gasping. Still, he did not call 911."
Police say Curry reached out to the boy's mother via Instagram to let her know about the son's condition. He reportedly asked her if it was possible for a child to go into cardiac arrest.
"They continue exchanging Instagram messages, still not calling 911, Curry conveyed the grim details about Ezekiel's grave condition," Taylor said.
After spending a few hours exchanging messages, Cotto-Saintfleur's mom told Curry to call 911, which he then did.
Upon further investigation, detectives say Curry's description of how the 23-month-old received his injuries were not consistent with the injuries that authorities observed.
"We spoke to the medical doctors who treated Ezekiel at Lakeland Regional Health and at Tampa General Hospital. They conversed with the state attorney's office and the medical professionals that Ezekiel was without oxygen for at least 45 minutes and suffered a brain bleed," Taylor explained.
On Monday, March 11, medical examiners' autopsy of Cotto-Saintfleur determined his injuries were inconsistent with Curry's statement. The cause of death was considered to be from blunt force trauma, the manner of death was determined as homicide.
Following the report, Curry was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. He was transported to the Polk County Jail.
"It is unconscionable and unfathomable that almost two and a half hours could go by from the very first signs that Ezekiel was injured until Mr. Curry finally decided to notify 911," Taylor said.
Taylor says the mom of Ezekiel is not facing any criminal charges is cooperating with the investigation.