A 9-day-old infant remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition after Lee County deputies say the newborn was violently shaken, leaving the baby struggling to breathe and partially unresponsive. Twenty-year-old Noah Lils Alcantara now faces a charge of aggravated child abuse in connection with the case.
Deputies responded to a local children's hospital on Oct. 31 after receiving a report of possible child abuse involving the infant, according to news-press.com. Authorities said the infant experienced severe difficulty breathing and was partially unresponsive upon arrival. As reported by WINK News, the case was turned over to the sheriff's office Special Victims Unit due to the severity of the infant's condition.
Medical Findings Point to Violent Shaking
Medical personnel determined that the infant suffered significant trauma consistent with being violently shaken, the sheriff's office said, per the same news-press.com report. The infant remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition as the investigation proceeded. The sheriff's office did not specify the infant's relationship to Alcantara, and it has not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged abuse.
Special Victims Unit detectives moved quickly, establishing probable cause to arrest Alcantara, according to gulfcoastnewsnow.com. He was arrested on Sunday and booked on a charge of aggravated child abuse. His arraignment has been reported for Nov. 30, according to the news-press.com report.
Sheriff Praises Quick Turnaround
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno condemned the alleged abuse and praised his Special Victims Unit detectives, saying their swift response and diligent investigative work led to a quick arrest, per gulfcoastnewsnow.com's reporting. Marceno said detectives take abuse cases seriously and work to hold those responsible accountable while seeking justice for victims.
The case echoes another recent Lee County incident involving 23-year-old Chancelor Rolle, who was accused of shaking his 4-month-old infant and was arrested on an identical aggravated child abuse charge, according to gulfcoastnewsnow.com's separate report on that case. Doctors in the Rolle case reportedly told deputies that the infant sustained severe head injuries consistent with non-accidental trauma.
Lasting Risks of Shaken Baby Syndrome
Julie Noble of Safe Kids Southwest Florida has said shaken baby syndrome can leave lasting effects on surviving infants. “There can be learning disabilities, physical disabilities, visual disabilities, hearing impairment,” Noble told gulfcoastnewsnow.com in comments made about infant-shaking cases in the region.
The investigation into the 9-day-old's injuries remains active, and no further details about the circumstances of the alleged abuse have been released by the sheriff's office.
