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Spring Hill teen accused of critically injuring baby she ‘wished was not in her care’: HCSO

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  August 28, 2024 4:16pm EDT
Hernando County
FOX 13 News

SPRING HILL, Fla. - A Spring Hill teen is behind bars without bond after deputies say she abused a one-month-old baby. 

Investigators say Arianna Renee Hamilton, 19, brought an infant to Oak Hill Hospital on Sunday and told a nurse that the baby had rolled off the bed and fell on the floor while she was changing its diaper. 

However, deputies say the nurse noticed that the one-month-old was suffering from a head injury due to swelling. 

According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, medical scans showed that the baby was suffering from multiple skull fractures that needed more advanced and specialized care, so it was air-lifted to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa.

Scans done at the Tampa hospital showed skull fractures, along with fractures to both shins and both femurs and a collarbone fracture, according to investigators.  Deputies said all injuries noted were in various stages of healing, meaning they happened at different times.

READ: Suspect accused of opening fire on 2 Lakeland officers arrested in Tampa

The infant was listed in critical condition.

A detective said Hamilton stated that while changing the infant on the bed, she let go "with both hands" and the infant fell off the bed onto the hardwood floor.

Arianna Hamilton mugshot courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Arianna Hamilton mugshot courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. 

Hamilton, according to deputies, said she was "too scared" to call 911, so she packed a baby bag and took the infant to Oak Hill Hospital.

When the detective asked about other injuries on the baby, he said Hamilton could not give a reason for the numerous fractures. 

The detective interviewed another family member who reportedly saw Hamilton yelling at the infant for crying. The relative told detectives that Hamilton said that she "wished the infant was not in her care."

According to HCSO, another relative showed the detective photos of the injured infant taken on different dates that showed new injuries including lacerations, bruising, and swelling. That family member told deputies they confronted Hamilton about the injuries, but she was not able to say how the child was hurt.  

Everyone who had a responsibility to care for the baby told detectives that the injuries did not happen under their watch. 

READ: 1 arrested in road rage shooting that injured teenage girl in Hillsborough County

The doctor who treated the infant said several of the fractures appeared to be in different stages of healing, which would indicate "ongoing abuse," according to HCSO. 

Additional scans are needed to confirm if the skull fractures/brain bleed are in the healing process.

Deputies executing a search warrant said the bed where the infant was reportedly being changed did not show any signs of a recent diaper change, nor were there any dirty clothes and/or diapers disposed of in either of the garbage cans in the room.  They added that all items used to change a baby were in another room.

While being interviewed by detectives, HCSO said Hamilton admitted to becoming frustrated and squeezing the infant too hard, causing the fractures.

Hamilton was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect. 

The sheriff's office said it could not reveal Hamilton's relationship with the child to protect the baby's identity. 

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-990-8477 or **TIPS from a cellphone. 

Tipsters will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a $5,000 cash reward. 

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