In a recent development out of Tennessee, Lyndsey T. Bustamante, a 29-year-old woman from Clarksville, has been handed down a federal prison sentence exceeding 11 years for the charge of aggravated child neglect. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert E. McGuire, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The conviction stems from an incident involving Bustamante's two-month-old child, who officials say was "horribly neglected" and sustained life-threatening injuries as a result.
The child, who is now in a markedly improved situation, residing in a loving home, is nevertheless slated to encounter lifelong challenges due to the neglectful actions of the parents. Acting U.S. Attorney McGuire firmly stated, "The child is now in a loving home but will face lifelong struggles because of the Defendant’s choices," as noted by the U.S. Attorney's Office. In a concerted effort to demonstrate the seriousness with which child endangerment is treated, the sentencing aims to strongly deter similar offenses. Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office warned the public, indicating that law enforcement will aggressively pursue and impose the full force of the law on individuals found guilty of harming children.
Bustamante, who was absent when her husband caused the injuries to their child, was alerted on the day of the incident about the harm inflicted by her spouse, Andrew Garasich. Garasich, in his interaction with the FBI, described the child's injuries as "beet red" and revealed to agents that he peeled skin from the child's body subsequent to the bathing incident. The level of negligence is further underscored by their belated decision to seek medical attention, not making the move until days after the initial injury occurred. According to documentation from the prosecutors, both parents refrained from obtaining immediate medical care from December 30, 2022, until January 4, 2023.
Hospital staff at Houston County Community Hospital were quick to recognize the severity of the infant's condition upon Bustamante's arrival, necessitating an urgent life flight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Reports state that in addition to serious burns, the baby was also found to have sustained a skull fracture. In light of the inhumane extent of the neglect described in the case, following her term of imprisonment, Bustamante will be under supervised release for four years. Bustamante's co-defendant and the child's father, Andrew J. Garasich, was previously sentenced on July 14, 2025, to 14 years in federal prison, which is to be succeeded by another four years of supervised release.
The investigation into the heartbreaking case was a joint effort carried out by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI's Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency. The diligence of Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison alongside Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire was crucial in the prosecution of the case.
