Florida Mum Said Baby Died After Co-Sleeping – but Police Say She Crushed His Skull With a Punch

A Florida mother who allegedly told deputies she accidentally fell asleep beside her three-month-old son is accused of causing the head injuries that later proved fatal. Jessica Vlasac, 42, of Lakeland, was arrested on 10 September and charged with aggravated child abuse resulting in the death of a three-month-old infant in her care, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

An autopsy found multiple impact injuries to the baby's head that authorities said were inconsistent with her account of an accidental co-sleeping incident. She also faces charges of resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer, according to jail records.

Baby Found Cold and Unresponsive

Deputies arrived at Vlasac's home around 11:58 p.m. on 6 September after receiving a report that the baby was unresponsive. The infant was rushed to Orlando Health Medical in Lakeland, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Authorities said he had an abrasion and bruising on his head.

Vlasac reportedly told deputies she had accidentally fallen asleep with the baby in her bed. She said she woke to find him face down, motionless, and 'cold to the touch.' The sheriff's office said Vlasac made statements including, 'I think I killed our son,' while saying she believed it happened while she was asleep.

Autopsy Raises Fresh Questions

The medical examination marked a major turning point in the investigation. Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Nelson found subdural haemorrhaging around the baby's skull and three separate impact injuries, including a 1.7 cm by 1 cm L-shaped injury to his forehead that Nelson said appeared consistent with a square-like object.

Detectives later noticed that Vlasac was wearing a large ring with a diamond-like stone whose square-like shape appeared consistent with the object described in the autopsy. Investigators seized the ring and her electronic devices under a search warrant.

In a follow-up examination, Nelson said the infant's injuries were consistent with being struck by the ring. The sheriff's office said there was no evidence that co-sleeping caused the death.

Messages Point Investigators Elsewhere

Detectives also questioned the baby's father, who reportedly said Vlasac 'becomes violent' when she drinks alcohol. He showed investigators messages exchanged with Vlasac, which indicated she had purchased alcoholic shots at around noon on the day of the incident.

Later that night, she allegedly sent several messages saying she had killed the infant and that he was dead. Investigators said Vlasac had also deleted some messages.

Moreover, the father also told investigators that Vlasac called him a few days later and seemed 'unusually normal' while discussing the death. He told them that Vlasac had asked him not to show them their messages.

Household Members Heard Her Screaming

Investigators also interviewed members of the household who were present at the time. They said they had not noticed anything suspicious and were unaware that anything was happening until they heard Vlasac screaming.

Vlasac was booked into the Polk County Jail following her arrest. Court records show that she is scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing on Thursday, 17 September, with an arraignment set for 13 October. She faces the charges but has not been convicted. The investigation remains ongoing.