A Florida father has been arrested after allegedly killing his five-week-old daughter by squeezing her so hard that she broke her ribs.
Dajuan Patrick was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday, March 10, on a warrant out of Volusia County, where he was charged with aggravated murder in connection with the death of five-week-old Dahlia Siebenhaar.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that Dahlia was hospitalized for multiple injuries before she died in December 2024.
One year after her death, Patrick, 27, was charged with causing the injuries that led to her death.
Dahlia was first admitted to the hospital on December 2, 2024, after being found unresponsive. He was put on life support due to the severity of his injuries and never regained consciousness. He was finally taken off life support on December 12, 2024, and died from his injuries.
Police said Dahlia suffered “major head injuries, broken ribs, bruises all over her body, and retinal hemorrhages from being shaken and restrained with great force,” according to medical records and an autopsy.
An investigation into Dahlia’s death was launched and the police spoke to several people who had information about the child’s condition. The police found that Patrick was known to shake and hit the newborn, and concluded that he was the one who caused the injury and death.
Patrick was arrested while in Jacksonville and is currently being held without bond at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
It is not yet clear whether Patrick has filed a plea or stayed the legal decision following his arrest.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood shown in the case in the release. “Being arrested in this case will not bring Dahlia back or give her the childhood she deserves, but today we speak for her, because her life was important,” he said.
The police also shared a photo of Chitwood, which shows him dressed in a serious manner with green hair.
A babysitter in Florida has been arrested after allegedly hitting a little girl and leaving “red lines” the size of an adult’s hand on her face. Viviana Ortiz-Lopez is accused of child abuse without serious injury in the incident. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the girl suffered serious injuries […]
In addition to sharing news of the arrest in this press release, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office also uploaded the information to a Facebook post. Shortly after the police revealed the details of the case and the shooting of Patrick, many people took to the comment section to analyze the case.
“Anyone who has seen/held a 5-week-old baby knows how small and helpless he is. There is no excuse for this behavior,” said one person, while another cried, “It breaks my heart to see this.”
One person said the child’s death made their “blood boil”, while another social media user commented, “My heart goes out to Dahlia’s family and loved ones.
If Patrick is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, he could face up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to Leppard Law. However, the law firm noted that the exact sentence can vary, depending on specifics of the case – including the defendant’s criminal history and the degree of negligence involved in the victim’s death.
