LAKELAND, FL – A local man has been apprehended and charged in connection with the death of a toddler he was caring for while the child’s mother was at work, as per police reports.
Bobby Curry, 20, was taken into custody last Friday, facing charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, as announced by Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor during a press briefing on Monday.
On March 5, at approximately 5:25 p.m., police officers were summoned to a home on Kansas Avenue after receiving reports of an unresponsive child. Upon arrival, they discovered 23-month-old Ezekiel Cotto Saint Fleur lifeless on the bathroom floor, without a pulse and not breathing.
Emergency responders immediately initiated CPR on the toddler until medical crews arrived and took over. Despite being rushed to two different hospitals due to his critical condition, Ezekiel succumbed to his injuries three days later on March 8.
According to Chief Taylor, Curry, who was in a relationship with the child’s mother and living with her, was the only adult present in the house when the incident occurred. However, Curry is not the biological father of Ezekiel.
Upon questioning, Curry reportedly told detectives that he had given Ezekiel a bath after the toddler had wet his bed. He claimed that one of their puppies, weighing between 15-20 pounds, jumped on the child causing him to fall backwards, hitting his head on the bathtub and then the floor. Curry moved the child to his bed and upon checking on him later, found him barely breathing.
Instead of calling emergency services, Curry contacted the child’s mother via Instagram, informing her of her son’s severe physical condition and asking if a child could go into cardiac arrest. It was only after exchanging 67 messages with her that he was instructed to call 911 at around 5:25 p.m.
Medical experts, however, have disputed Curry’s account, stating that the severity and nature of the child’s injuries were inconsistent with his explanation and instead suggested physical abuse. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt-force trauma.
Upon the revelation of the cause of death, police obtained a warrant and arrested Curry on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.
Chief Taylor criticized the delay in Curry’s call to emergency services, stating that regardless of the circumstances, anyone should immediately call for help when another person is in distress.