Polk County Sheriff's Office arrests Lakeland mother on aggravated child abuse charge following infant death

A local resident faces felony criminal charges and imprisonment following a death investigation conducted by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

• •A 3-month-old boy died from violent head impacts rather than an accidental co-sleeping event, according to an autopsy.
• •Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Nelson identified three separate impact injuries to the infant's forehead and skull, including a 1.7 cm by 1 cm L-shaped mark.
• •Jessica Vlasac initially told investigators she accidentally fell asleep in bed with the baby and found him face down and unresponsive.
• •Detectives identified a large, square-like diamond ring worn by Vlasac that matched the shape of the infant's head injury.
• •Text messages retrieved from the night of the incident showed Vlasac bought alcoholic shots, sent messages stating she killed the infant, and asked the child's father to delete the text history.
• •Deputies booked Vlasac into the Polk County Jail on Thursday, Sept. 10, on an aggravated child abuse charge.
• •The Polk County Sheriff's Office stated that the criminal investigation remains ongoing and additional charges have not been confirmed.