Susie
04-28-2008, 05:33 AM
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/27/injured-baby-dies-hospital/
Injured Baby Dies At Hospital
By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 27, 2008
TAMPA - A 17-month old child that suffered a serious head injury Wednesday after being tossed into the air then hitting his head on the ceiling died today at a Gainesville hospital, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said.
Gianni Spagnolo
The man accused of fatally injuring the child, Gianni Spagnolo, 34, of Beverly Hills, remains in Citrus County Jail today with bail set at $1 million. He is charged with one count of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm.
According to a news release, this is what happened Wednesday:
Spagnolo told detectives that he was kneeling on his bed tossing his girlfriend's baby in the air. The male child, whose name was not released by the sheriff's office, was tossed with more force after each catch.
At one point, the child's head struck the ceiling. The baby fell near the edge of the bed, where his head hit a wood table. After striking the table, the child fell onto a concrete floor.
Detectives said Spagnolo, who was babysitting the child, waited about an hour for the mother to come home. He waited another hour before he took the baby and the mother to the hospital.
Because of the severity of the injuries, the victim was taken by helicopter to Shands Medical Center in Gainesville, the sheriff's office said. The baby suffered severe head trauma, an injury to the brain stem and massive retinal hemorrhaging, detectives said.
Spagnolo turned himself in to the sheriff's office on Thursday. According to detectives, Spagnolo said he had not been truthful to his girlfriend or to deputies prior to turning himself in.
According to detectives, Spagnolo contacted the sheriff's office because he could not hold the truth in any longer and that he owed it to the mother to tell her what happened.
The State Attorney's Office is reviewing the case for prosecution, the sheriff's office said.
Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.
Injured Baby Dies At Hospital
By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 27, 2008
TAMPA - A 17-month old child that suffered a serious head injury Wednesday after being tossed into the air then hitting his head on the ceiling died today at a Gainesville hospital, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said.
Gianni Spagnolo
The man accused of fatally injuring the child, Gianni Spagnolo, 34, of Beverly Hills, remains in Citrus County Jail today with bail set at $1 million. He is charged with one count of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm.
According to a news release, this is what happened Wednesday:
Spagnolo told detectives that he was kneeling on his bed tossing his girlfriend's baby in the air. The male child, whose name was not released by the sheriff's office, was tossed with more force after each catch.
At one point, the child's head struck the ceiling. The baby fell near the edge of the bed, where his head hit a wood table. After striking the table, the child fell onto a concrete floor.
Detectives said Spagnolo, who was babysitting the child, waited about an hour for the mother to come home. He waited another hour before he took the baby and the mother to the hospital.
Because of the severity of the injuries, the victim was taken by helicopter to Shands Medical Center in Gainesville, the sheriff's office said. The baby suffered severe head trauma, an injury to the brain stem and massive retinal hemorrhaging, detectives said.
Spagnolo turned himself in to the sheriff's office on Thursday. According to detectives, Spagnolo said he had not been truthful to his girlfriend or to deputies prior to turning himself in.
According to detectives, Spagnolo contacted the sheriff's office because he could not hold the truth in any longer and that he owed it to the mother to tell her what happened.
The State Attorney's Office is reviewing the case for prosecution, the sheriff's office said.
Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.