BARTOW, FL – A Bartow man has been arrested and charged with the aggravated manslaughter of his 4-month-old daughter following a joint investigation between local police and sheriff’s deputies.

Investigators reported that on February 22, the infant girl was rushed to Bartow Regional Medical Center, displaying no brain activity and presenting with injuries deemed suspicious. Medical personnel quickly transported her to Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, where it was discovered she suffered from a fractured skull, bruises, scratches, hemorrhaging in multiple layers of the brain, and broken ribs.

During individual interviews conducted by authorities, neither the father, 22-year-old Jacob Kubai, nor his wife could give an explanation for the injuries sustained by their daughter. Kubai initially claimed that the infant was in good health while accompanying him on a trip to a local store at the time leading up to the hospitalization.

Surveillance footage reviewed by detectives contradicted Kubai’s account, showing him at the store alone. Once presented with this discrepancy, Kubai declined to provide any further details.

An autopsy performed on February 27 revealed the extent of the baby’s injuries, which included blunt force trauma to the front of her head, a swollen spine, a severe skull fracture at the back of the head, and multiple rib fractures in various stages of healing.

Authorities deduced that the fatal injuries occurred while the mother was at work and Kubai was the sole caretaker. Moreover, investigators found that the baby had been left alone by Kubai on at least two prior occasions.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd expressed dismay at the circumstances, noting the severity of the baby’s injuries and the apparent involvement of her father in the tragic incident.

The autopsy report concluded that the injuries were inflicted while Kubai was in care of the child and ruled the infant’s death as a homicide by blunt force trauma to the head.

Kubai, taken into custody on March 5, faces charges including aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect without great bodily harm. The investigation into the baby’s death remains ongoing.