An Orlando man, suspected of shaking a 6-month-old baby to death last November, was arrested on Wednesday, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies said.
22-year-old Lonnie Richard Leonard, of Forest City Road, was taken into custody without incident and charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse of Malloree Tatum, 6 months.
Investigators went to 7136 Forest City Road on November 17, 2010, in response to a “baby not breathing” call. Leonard told detectives that he had put Malloree on the bed and later heard a thump from the room. He said the baby was on the floor and unresponsive when he went to examine the noise.
Malloree was taken to a local area hospital, but died two days later on November 19.
Doctors immediately suspected the child was the victim of “shaken baby syndrome”. Results obtained from the baby’s autopsy, submitted for forensic examination, provided the necessary evidence to charge Leonard with Malloree death, investigators said.
Leonard was booked into the Orange County Jail just after 4:30 pm, on Wednesday, without bond.
