| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: TAYLOR, MATTHEW 0400 (AR13-4369) DID UNLAWFULLY AND FELONIOUSLY, WHILE ENGAGED IN THE PREMEDITATION OF A CERTAIN FELONY, TO WIT: AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE, KILLED AND MURDERED SIX MONTH OLD HADLEY ARNETT, A HUMAN BEING, BY COMMITTING NUMEROUS VIOLENT ACTS, TO WIT: FORCEFULLY HITTING THE INFANT VICTIMâS FACE ON THE TRAY OF HIS SWING, FORCEFULLY REMOVING THE INFANT VICTIM FROM THE SWING, AND SHAKING THE INFANT VICTIM, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 782.04(1)(A)(2). ON 012813 AT APPROXIMATELY 0625 HOURS, THE DEFENDANT, MS BRITTANY NICHOLE ARNETT, AND HER BOYFRIEND RESPONDED TO THE CITRUS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WITH THE INFANT VICTIM, SIX MONTH OLD HADLEY ARNETT. AT THAT TIME, HADLEY WAS NEITHER RESPONSIVE NOR BREATHING. MEDICAL STAFF WORKED OVER AN HOUR IN ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE THE INFANT, WHICH MET WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. UPON EXAMINING THE DECEASED INFANT, THERE WERE NUMEROUS MARKS UPON HIS PERSON THAT CAUSED CONCERN TO INCLUDE BRUISING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RIB CAGE AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BITE MARK ON THE LEFT THIGH. ON 012913, AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED AT THE FIFTH JUDICIAL MEDICAL EXAMINERâS OFFICE WHERE NUMEROUS INJURIES WERE FOUND ON THE DECEASED INFANT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE DECEASED INFANTâS DEATH. INJURIES INCLUDED, BUT WERE NOT LIMITED TO: BRAIN HEMORRHAGING, A SEPARATED SPINE, BROKEN RIBS, AND LACERATIONS WITHIN THE DECEASED INFANTâS MOUTH. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ON SUNDAY (012713), THE DEFENDANT WAS LEFT ALONE WITH THE INFANT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THAT WHEN THE BOYFRIEND HAD RETURNED HOME THE INFANT APPEARED TO BE ACTING ABNORMAL. THE INFANT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY FOCUSING AND WAS SENSITIVE TO TOUCH. IN ADDITION THE INFANT HAD BLOOD WITHIN HIS MOUTH, WHICH HAD TO BE REMOVED BY A SUCTION BALL. ON 020413, AFTER NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEFENDANT, THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED TO COMMITTING THESE INJURIES TO THE INFANT, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS DEATH. THE DEFENDANT WAS ADVISED MIRANDA AND ADVISED THAT ON SUNDAY (012713), THE INFANT WAS IN HER SOLE CARE AND CUSTODY WHILE THE DEFENDANTâS BOYFRIEND WAS out of THE RESIDENCE. THE DEFENDANT ADMITS THAT SHE BECAME FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY THAT SHE WAS LEFT ALONE WITH THE INFANT AND THAT AROUND NOON SHE HAD PLACED THE INFANT IN HIS SWING. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS, SHE ADMITTED TO SLAMMING the INFANTâS FACE INTO THE TRAY OF THE SWING. IN ADDITION FORCEFULLY GRASPED THE INFANT AROUND THE RIB CAGE YANKING HIM FROM THE SWING WITH SUCH FORCE TO CAUSE THE INFANTâS HEAD TO GO BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT SUPPORT. THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED THAT WHEN SHE YANKED THE INFANT OUT OF THE SWING SHE RECALLED THE BACK OF THE INFANTâS HEAD HITTING THE SWING. THE DEFENDANT STATED SHE KNEW that THE INFANT WAS INJURED, BUT WAS AFRAID TO TELL HER BOYFRIEND OR SEEK MEDICAL HELP IN FEAR OF GETTING IN TROUBLE. THE DEFENDANT STATED THAT THE INFANT WAS PUT TO BED AROUND 2200 HOURS, AND LAST HEARD THE INFANT BREATHING AROUND 0530 HOURS ON MONDAY (012813). THE DEFENDANT WAS ARRESTED FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE, HANDCUFFED BEHIND HER BACK (DOUBLE LOCKED), AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY BY DEPUTY PERUCHE. |
