WIMAUMA, Fla. — A Florida woman is accused of shaking an infant in her care, leading to the child’s death a week later, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Haley Marie Barclay, 26, of Wimauma, was arrested on Friday. She was charged with one count of first-degree murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse, two counts of aggravated child abuse and one count of child neglect, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
The infant was brought to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg on April 17, Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Amanda Granit told the Tampa Bay Times. The baby was unresponsive and had what hospital officials called trauma injuries, according to the newspaper.
A Wimauma woman was arrested after admitting to shaking an infant just days before the baby died from their injuries. https://t.co/qHKKTpLJRC
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) April 25, 2023
Despite lifesaving efforts, the child died on Friday, the sheriff’s office said. The age of the child was not revealed, and the relationship between Barclay and the infant also was not given, WTVT reported.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson declined to comment on the woman’s relationship, citing Marsy’s Law, according to the Times.
After hospital officials contacted authorities, detectives from the sheriff’s office interviewed Barclay on Friday, the newspaper reported.
According to detectives, Barclay allegedly admitted to shaking the infant on April 12 and April 13, WTSP-TV reported.
Barclay was arrested and booked into the Falkenburg Road Jail on felony charges of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect on April 17, records show.
On Monday, the Pinellas-Pasco County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the infant’s death a homicide, the sheriff’s office said.
“This woman was responsible for caring for this defenseless child. Instead, she is responsible for this innocent child’s death,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I must commend our detectives for their tireless work in this investigation. This loss is a heartbreaking reminder of our responsibility to protect our communities most vulnerable from harm.”
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Protective Investigations unit is involved with sheltering Barclay’s additional children, according to WTSP.
