Additional Coverage:
A Florida woman, Jessica Vlasac, 42, has been charged with aggravated child abuse following the tragic death of her three-month-old son. Authorities say she fatally injured the infant by striking his head with her diamond ring, causing a crushed skull.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Lakeland residence, roughly 55 miles south of Orlando, on September 6 after reports of an unresponsive baby. Emergency personnel rushed the infant to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Medical staff observed bruising and abrasions on the child’s head.
During questioning, Vlasac initially claimed she accidentally fell asleep while holding her son and found him unresponsive when she awoke. However, the autopsy painted a different picture. The examination revealed subdural hemorrhaging and three distinct impact injuries to the infant’s head, including one consistent with a square-shaped object.
Detectives noted Vlasac was wearing a large, square-cut diamond ring matching the injury’s shape. The medical examiner confirmed the ring was the cause of the fatal blows. Witnesses inside the home reported that Vlasac was alone with the baby when they heard sudden screams.
According to the child’s father, Vlasac becomes violent when intoxicated. He stated she had purchased alcohol earlier that day and later sent multiple messages admitting to killing the infant before deleting some of the texts. In a subsequent phone call to the father, her demeanor was described as “unusually normal” considering the circumstances.
Jessica Vlasac was arrested and is currently held without bond at the Polk County Jail. She is scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing this Thursday and an arraignment on October 13. The investigation remains ongoing as the community grapples with this heartbreaking loss.