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Background: The building in DeLand, Fla., that houses the Volusia County Sheriff”s Office (Google Maps). Inset: Dajuan Patrick (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office).
A man from Florida is currently detained without the option for bail following accusations that he is responsible for the tragic death of his infant daughter.
Authorities have arrested 27-year-old Dajuan Patrick in Jacksonville. He faces charges of aggravated manslaughter stemming from the heartbreaking death of his 5-week-old daughter, Dahlia Siebenhaar, as per a report by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Dahlia passed away in December 2024 after being placed on life support due to multiple serious injuries.
More than a year following her passing, her father has been accused of inflicting these devastating injuries.
The incident began on December 2, 2024, when Dahlia was rushed to the hospital in an unresponsive state, suffering from injuries so severe that life support was necessary. Sadly, she never regained consciousness and was removed from life support on December 12, 2024, leading to her death.
Police investigations, supported by medical records and an autopsy, revealed that Dahlia endured “extensive head trauma, broken ribs, widespread bruising, and retinal hemorrhages,” injuries indicative of severe shaking and forceful handling.
After investigators spoke with several people with knowledge of Dahlia’s living situation, police determined that Patrick was known to shake and spank the newborn baby girl. Police said Patrick was the one who caused the fatal injuries.
Patrick was arrested while in Jacksonville and remains in custody with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He is being held without bond and is expected to face a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child in Volusia County.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in the press release, “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.”