JACKSONVILLE, FL– A man and a woman have been charged with manslaughter for the death of a one-year-old child.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office began investigating the pair after hospital staff contacted them about a possible child abuse case on April 9th.
According to the report, the victim was brought into UF Health with multiple severe injuries. The child was then transferred to Wolfson Children’s Hospital for treatment. Four days after the child was admitted to the hospital, he died from the injuries.
During a police interview, 39-year-old Tracorvis Strickland told authorities that he put the child down for a nap but returned to find that the child had thrown up and was no longer breathing.
After collecting more evidence, authorities ruled the child’s death a homicide, and Strickland was arrested.
An arrest warrant was also issued for 21-year-old Cornelia Roberts after authorities found that she was another person who had access to the child and played a key role in the death.
Strickland has been charged with aggravated child abuse and second-degree murder.
Roberts was arrested for aggravated manslaughter of a child by culpable negligence.