| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: BAIRD, MATTHEW 0624 (AR13-8432) DID UNLAWFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY COMMIT ONE OR MORE ACTS OF TOUCHING OR STRIKING OF THE JUVENILE VICTIM, A.M., A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS, DATE OF BIRTH: 01/18/12, OR INTENTIONALLY CAUSE BODILY HARM TO SAID CHILD AND, IN THE COMMISSION OF SAID ACTS OF BATTERY, DID CAUSE GREAT BODILY HARM, PERMANENT DISABILITY, OR PERMANENT DISFIGUREMENT TO SAID CHILD, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTE 827.03(2)(A). ON 121613, THIS AGENCY RECEIVED A REPORT CONCERNING ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE. INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE HERNANDO COUNTY SHERIFFâS OFFICE THAT THE VICTIM HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED TO OAK HILL HOSPITAL BY HER BIOLOGICAL MOTHER, MS AMBER MANZ, FOR TREATMENT. A MEDICAL EXAMINATION BY HOSPITAL STAFF REVEALED TWO FRACTURES TO THE REAR OF THE VICTIMS SKULL, AS WELL AS BRUISING TO HER FACE, FOREHEAD, BACK, AND BUTTOCKS. ACCORDING TO MS MANZ THE VICTIM HAD BEEN IN THE SOLE CARE AND CUSTODY OF THE DEFENDANT, MR JONATHON ANDERSON, ON 121513, AT WHICH TIME HE HAD ADVISED SHE HAD FALLEN AND STRUCK THE BACK OF HER HEAD. HE PROVIDED NO EXPLANATION FOR THE OTHER INJURIES AT THAT TIME. ACCORDING TO HOSPITAL STAFF THE INJURIES WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE HISTORY PROVIDED BY MS MANZ. THE VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO ALL CHILDRENâS HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER TREATMENT. SHE WAS EXAMINED BY THE PINELLAS COUNTY CHILD PROTECTION TEAM WHO REPORTED THAT SHE HAD SUFFERED A FRACTURED SKULL, A CONCUSSION, A LUMP ON THE RIGHT/FRONT SIDE OF HER HEAD, A BRUISE ON THE RIGHT FOREHEAD, A CORNEAL ABRASION ON HER RIGHT EYE, A HEMORRHAGE IN HER LEFT EYE, BRUISING TO HER BACK, AND BRUISING TO HER BUTTOCKS. ACCORDING TO CPT STAFF THE FRACTURE WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH A FALL AS REPORTED BY MR ANDERSON. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE OTHER BRUISES AND TRAUMA TO THE EYES WERE ALSO NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE HISTORY PROVIDED BY MR ANDERSON. ON 121713, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH MR ANDERSON AT HIS RESIDENCE, AT WHICH TIME, A NON-CUSTODIAL, DIGITALLY RECORDED INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED. MR ANDERSON DID REPEAT THE HISTORY HE HAD EARLIER PROVIDED TO MS MANZ. HE STATED THAT ON 121613, HE HAD BEEN WATCHING THE VICTIM ALONE, AT WHICH TIME, SHE HAD FALLEN. HE DID CLAIM THAT HE HAD NOT OBSERVED THE FALL, BUT BELIEVED SHE TRIPPED OVER A CAT, BUMPED INTO SEVERAL TABLES, AND FALLEN TO THE GROUND. DURING THIS INTERVIEW MR ANDERSON CLAIMED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE VICTIM HAD SUFFERED A SKULL FRACTURE AS A RESULT OF THE FALL. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED HE HAD BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE FRACTURE BY MS MANZ ON 121613, WHEN IT WAS DIAGNOSED AT OAK HILL HOSPITAL. MR ANDERSON DID NOT MENTION ANY OF THE OTHER BRUISING OR TRAUMA SUSTAINED BY THE VICTIM, NOR DID HE DISCLOSE ANY OTHER POSSIBLE FALLS THAT HAD OCCURRED ON 121613. MR ANDERSON SUBMITTED TO A DRUG SCREEN ADMINISTERED BY A DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (DCF) INVESTIGATOR. THE DRUG SCREEN YIELDED POSITIVE RESULTS FOR MARIJUANA, OXYCODONE, AND METHADONE. MR ANDERSON DID ADMIT TO SMOKING MARIJUANA AND TO TAKING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES THAT WERE NOT PRESCRIBED TO HIM. ON 121813, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH MS MANZ, AT WHICH TIME, A NON-CUSTODIAL, DIGITALLY RECORDED INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED. MS MANZ STATED THAT ON 121513, SHE HAD LEFT THE VICTIM IN THE SOLE CARE AND CUSTODY OF MR ANDERSON WHILE SHE WENT TO WORK. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL TEXTS AND PHONE CALLS FROM MR ANDERSON ADVISING THAT THE VICTIM HAD FALLEN AND STRUCK HER HEAD. MS MANZ FURTHER STATED THAT UPON RETURNING TO THE RESIDENCE LATER IN THE EVENING THE VICTIM HAD BEEN FUSSY AND HAD A BUMP ON THE REAR OF HER HEAD. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD NOT OBSERVED ANY BRUISING, EYE TRAUMA, OR OTHER INJURIES UNTIL WAKING THE NEXT MORNING, AT WHICH TIME, SHE RESPONDED TO OAK HILL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. AS THE INVESTIGATION PROGRESSED MR ANDERSON DID MAKE STATEMENTS TO DCF AND OTHER PARTIES WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THE OTHER INJURIES WERE THE RESULT OF A SERIES OF FALLS SUSTAINED BY THE VICTIM ON 121513, WHILE SHE WAS IN HIS CARE. MR ANDERSON NEVER MENTIONED ANY ADDITIONAL FALLS DURING OUR INITIAL INTERVIEW. ON 122013, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH MR ANDERSON AT HIS RESIDENCE IN REFERENCE TO THIS CASE. MR ANDERSON DID AGREE TO SPEAK WITH ME, AT WHICH TIME, A NON-CUSTODIAL, DIGITALLY RECORDED INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED. MR ANDERSON DID REQUEST AN ATTORNEY ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, AT WHICH TIME, THE INTERVIEW WAS TERMINATED AND HE WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE. MR ANDERSON WAS HANDCUFFED (BEHIND HIS BACK, DOUBLE LOCKED) AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE HIS BOND WAS PLACED AT $10,000.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. |
