LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland man has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse over the death of a nearly two-year-old boy who was under his care earlier in March.
According to Lakeland Police, officers went to a home in the 600 block of Kansas Avenue on March 5 over a report of an unresponsive child. Officers performed CPR on the toddler until Lakeland Fire arrived to help.
The child, Ezekiel Cotto-Saintfleur, was taken to Lakeland Regional Health and then to Tampa General Hospital, where he died three days later.
Lakeland Police detectives interviewed Bobby Curry, Jr., who was taking care of the child when he died. Curry told police he gave the child a bath sometime between 2 and 3 p.m.
Curry said that while he was getting Cotto-Saintfleur out of the bath, the family's puppy leaped onto Cotto-Saintfleur, causing him to hit the back of his head on the bathtub and then the floor mat.
Detectives said Curry told them Cotto-Saintfleur tensed up after the fall but was still breathing. Curry said he put the child in his bed to rest after this but didn't call 911. Police said Curry told them when he returned at 3:13, Cotto-Saintfleur wasn't breathing.
Detectives said Curry gave the toddler chest compressions and some air, and Cotto-Saintfleur began taking breaths as if he was gasping, but Curry didn't call for help and messaged the child's mother on Instagram.
Curry conveyed grim details to her about Ezekiel’s grave condition. At 5:24 p.m., Ezekiel’s mother told Curry to call 911, and that was when he finally did.
“It’s unconscionable and unfathomable to me that almost 2.5 hours could go by from the very first signs that Ezekiel was injured until Mr. Curry finally decided to notify 911,” said Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor.
Lakeland Regional Health officials told Lakeland Police detectives that Cotto-Saintfleur was without oxygen for at least 45 minutes. The team at Tampa General Hospital said his injuries were consistent with physical abuse.
The medical examiner's office later performed an autopsy on the toddler and determined the cause of death wasn't consistent with Curry's account of the injuries from an accidental fall and was instead the result of blunt force trauma.
“A child is so innocent. There is no reason for a child to be hurt under the care of an adult. I can't wrap my head around it, ” said neighbor Shirley Pickett.
Curry was arrested Friday and now faces a charge of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
