A Florida man was charged in the death of a 5-week-old infant.
The father of a Daytona Beach baby who died of traumatic injuries in 2024 was arrested on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s office.
27-year-old Dajuan Patrick, of Jacksonville, was taken into custody by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on his Central Florida warrant.
Patrick was charged in the death of 5-week-old Dahlia Siebenhaar, who was admitted to the hospital the night of December 2, 2024, unresponsive with severe injuries. She never regained consciousness and was taken off life support on December 12th.
According to local law enforcement, medical and autopsy records showed Dahlia sustained extensive head trauma, broken ribs, bruising across her body, and retinal hemorrhages due to being shaken and held with extreme force.
Her death was later ruled a homicide by Volusia County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Fulcher.
A thorough Volusia Sheriff’s Office investigation based on interviews, medical records, and other evidence determined Patrick shook and spanked Dahlia, causing her fatal injuries.
“The arrest in this case won’t bring Dahlia back or give her the childhood she deserved, but today we’re speaking up for her, because her life mattered,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.
