BARTOW, Fla. (TCD) — A 22-year-old father who beat his baby to death while leaving his baby alone while the mother was at work has been arrested.
According to a news conference hosted by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd., On the evening of Feb. 22, Bartow police responded after 4-month-old Willow Kubai was taken to Bartow Regional Medical Center with “no brain activity and suspicious physical injuries.”
The child was later taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where medical staff determined he suffered a skull fracture, multiple brain bleeds, bruises, scratches, spinal swelling and bleeding, and broken ribs. The victim “fought for his life” but eventually succumbed to his injuries, Judd said.
The child's injuries are believed to include being hit on the forehead, squeezed, and hit on the back of the head with a hard object.
An autopsy found Willow Kubai died from blunt force trauma to the head and her death was ruled a homicide.
The Sheriff's Office learned that the baby's father, Jacob Kubai, dropped the victim's mother, Rebekah Kubai, at work on Feb. 22 just before 5 p.m. He reportedly went home with the baby and then left for Walmart.
Jacob Kubai told detectives he went to the store with the toddler, but investigators obtained surveillance video of the man alone in the store, according to Judd.
Jacob Kubayi told investigators he fed the baby around 7:50 p.m. and went to check on the baby every 10 minutes. At approximately 8:10 p.m., he reportedly found her daughter unconscious and attempted CPR. According to Judd, the investigation found the man applied pressure to the child five times.
The baby was still unresponsive, so Jacob Kubai took his daughter to Bartow Regional Medical Center and called police.
The victim's mother reportedly stated to the police, “There were no bruises or injuries when the baby left for work.”
Investigators determined the baby's injuries occurred while Rebekah Kubai was at work and Jacob Kubai was the sole caregiver for his daughter three hours before she was taken to the hospital.
According to Judd, Jacob Kubai told detectives things like “None of this is real,” “My wife isn't real,” “My baby isn't real,” and “This is an illusion that just came to light.” “It’s hard to find,” he said. “I'm not waking up.”
The sheriff said the suspect “began messing around with law enforcement” and showed “no remorse” despite claims that he “beat and squeezed the baby to death,” Judd said.
Kubayi was arrested March 5 on charges of aggravated child murder, aggravated child abuse and two counts of intentionally abusing a child without bodily harm.
Sheriff's Office investigators also allege that in addition to leaving the child alone while going to Walmart, Jacob Kubayi also left the child unaccompanied on Jan. 17.
“Death investigations can often take months to be completed,” Judd said. “In this case, this beautiful daughter's injuries were so severe that there is no question how she was killed. I don't know what the father could do, but I don't know what the law allows.” “I know he should be in prison as long as we can.”
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