The father of a 3-month-old baby girl is behind bars, accused of manslaughter, after he punched her in the head because she wouldn’t stop crying and he wanted to take a nap.
Police were called to a home on 200 Avenue K, SE in Winter Haven on Tuesday, where they found 3-month-old Riley Ryon unresponsive inside the apartment.
Investigators learned that, 27-year-old Christopher Ryon, the baby’s father, had been sleeping on the couch when the child’s mother, 26-year-old Kristine Bardell, arrived home from lunch.
Bardell told investigators she went to the bedroom where the baby was laying face-down on the bed and unresponsive. When she turned the baby over, Riley was not breathing and her face had a bluish tint, she said.
Bardell also told detectives she rushed the baby to Ryon and he started CPR while she called 911.
Baby Riley was transported to the Winter Haven Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Ryon told detectives during interviews that he did hit the baby in the head, because she wouldn’t stop crying when he wanted to take a nap.
An autopsy concluded that baby Riley had a skull fracture indicative of blunt force trauma.
Ryon was placed under arrest and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.
