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In a tragic development in Marion County, Florida, authorities have arrested a man in connection with the death of a young girl in Citra. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Friday that Jeroen Jarrel Coombs, aged 32, has been charged with aggravated child abuse following the death of 3-year-old Paisley Brown.
The alarming incident unfolded on Thursday when deputies responded to a call around noon. They were dispatched to the 16500 block of NE 44th Avenue in Citra, where they assisted Marion County Fire Rescue in handling an emergency involving an unresponsive child.
The young girl, identified as Paisley Brown, was quickly transported to a nearby hospital. Tragically, despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the medical facility.
Following the incident, Coombs was taken in for questioning. The sheriff’s office reported that deputies at the scene received information implicating Coombs in causing harm to the child, leading to his subsequent arrest.
Coombs was questioned after deputies at the scene were told he had harmed the girl, according to the sheriff’s office.
[MORE: Man in custody for questioning after girl dies in Marion County]
According to a news release shared Friday, a juvenile told deputies during interviews on Thursday “that he heard Coombs strike Paisley and disclosed prior physical abuse” by him.
Detectives reportedly learned that Coombs was home alone with Paisley when, around 10:58 a.m., he contacted the child’s mother to say the 3-year-old was unresponsive. A 911 call would not be made for another 40 minutes, the sheriff’s office said.
Coombs initially told investigators that Paisley was groggy that morning, yet he “admitted to causing the injuries that led to her death” after being confronted about bruising and ligature marks on the child’s body, according to the release.
In further remarks to detectives, Coombs said that he “took it too far” with the girl, allegedly binding her arms and legs, dropping her on the floor while she was still bound, and striking her multiple times, the release states.
He advised that he had bound her hands with a robe tie and her legs with painter’s tape to prevent her from reaching into her diaper the night before. Coombs claimed that he picked Paisley up while she was still bound and dropped her on the floor, causing her to begin gasping for air. He then admitted to striking her multiple times before realizing he “took it too far”. When asked why he did not call 911, Coombs stated he was scared.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Coombs was being held on no bond at the time of this report, records show.
Additional charges are pending a report on the cause and manner of Paisley’s death, the sheriff’s office said.
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