MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A 32-year-old man was arrested Friday on an aggravated child abuse charge after deputies said he struck a 3-year-old girl multiple times, resulting in her death, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
Officials identified the suspect as Jeroen Jarrel Coombs. Deputies arrested Coombs after detectives learned the child was found unresponsive on Thursday at a home in the 16500 block of NE 44th Avenue, the sheriff’s office said. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died.
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Deputies at the scene were told Coombs had harmed the girl and was attempting to leave; he was detained for questioning while a homicide investigation began, the sheriff’s office said.
A juvenile witness told investigators they heard Coombs strike the girl and disclosed prior physical abuse, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives said Coombs initially told them she had been groggy when she woke, but later admitted to causing bruising and ligature marks.
Coombs told investigators he had bound the child’s hands with a robe tie and her legs with painter’s tape the night before to prevent her from reaching into her diaper, then picked her up while she was still bound and dropped her on the floor, causing her to gasp for air, the sheriff’s office said. He admitted striking her multiple times and told detectives he “took it too far,” according to the release. When asked why he did not call 911, Coombs said he was scared.
Coombs was booked into the Marion County Jail and is being held without bond. Major Crimes detectives are working with the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office to pursue additional charges pending the results of the cause and manner of death report, the sheriff’s office said.