CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — A caretaker, who happens to be a Citrus County firefighter, "failed" to keep a 2-month-old child alive, and now he is behind bars.
Jose Dorta III, 33, was arrested Tuesday and charged with a single count of aggravated manslaughter in the baby's death, according to a Citrus County Sheriff's Office news release.
The arrest comes almost a year to the day when the child died. On May 20, 2019, sheriff's office deputies were called to help an unresponsive infant. They learned the baby had trouble breathing but stopped breathing altogether just before they arrived.
The baby was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, where the child died.
Within the past year, the sheriff's office said it has done an investigation to collect evidence, witness testimony and review the medical examiner's report. All apparently have become enough for deputies say they're charging Dorta.
10 Tampa Bay has asked the sheriff's office to clarify whether Dorta is the child's father. So far, authorities have not publicly released the relationship between the two -- other than to say he was the person responsible for the baby.
"This was an extremely distressing investigation into the death of a precious two-month-old baby for all involved," Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in the release. "As an adult responsible for this child, Dorta failed to protect an innocent life.
"I am confident that through our investigation, the legal system will ensure justice for this victim."
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