JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are investigating how a baby suffered life-threatening injuries to Friday afternoon at the Paloma's Apartments on Jacksonville's Westside.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office alerted media to a death investigation at the complex on Lenox Avenue, but Officer Jamie Eason said the child, who is under the age of 1, was in critical condition at Wolfson Children's Hospital.
Eason said Jacksonville Fire Rescue was called just after noon when the injury was reported. The parents were home when rescue personnel arrived.
A resident heard someone screaming, "The baby is dead."
"And all I could do was just cry because she couldn't save her baby. It was too late. When she dove in the pool, it was too late," said Erika, a neighbor. "All I know is I saw something that I never hope to happen to my kids."
The neighbor said the baby was found in the pool, but investigators have not yet confirmed how the child was injured.
"They're investigating that. So it's just there's some preliminary investigations going on in reference to that, in reference to the injuries of the child," said Officer Jaime Eason.
Homicide detectives were on scene investigating Friday, and crime scene tape surrounded a second-floor apartment as well as some of the parking lot of the complex.