MARION COUNTY, Fla. – An Ocala couple was arrested last week after an infant was taken to the hospital in March for severe injuries, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
In an arrest affidavit, deputies said they responded to an Ocala hospital on March 26 shortly before midnight after receiving a report about a “suspicious incident.”
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Upon arrival, they learned that an infant girl had been taken in a fracture on the back of her skull and small bruises on her face.
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Investigators said they were told that Jacob Bratt, 24, had been holding the child at home around 8 a.m. that morning, though he tripped and fell, landing on top of the girl’s head.
“(Bratt) advised the reason why he waited to take the juvenile victim to the hospital was because he did not think it was going to be that serious,” the affidavit reads. “But once he noticed the child was vomiting, he felt something was wrong.”
In addition, Bratt’s wife — Charli Homer, 19 — explained she had learned about what happened about an hour after the fall, deputies added.
Weeks later, detectives said they discovered the child had a history of being admitted into intensive care for “respiratory distress,” likely due to “non-accidental trauma.”
The child suffered from several other developmental issues for her age, large hemorrhaging and “complete blockage of the sigmoid sinus,” the affidavit said.
After reviewing medical records, detectives reached out to another woman who lived at the home. She told deputies what she experienced on the morning of the alleged fall.
“While in the kitchen of the residence, she heard the defendant shout, ‘Oh my God,’” the affidavit stated. “She recalled not hearing a bang or noise that would indicate (Bratt) falling. She described being able to hear footsteps.”
Detectives said they reached back out to Homer, who told them she’d never witnessed Bratt being violent. However, she also told detectives that Bratt has two personalities he can switch between willingly — “Jack, who is the defendant’s normal self, and Jake, who is the defendant’s alter ego.”
While asking Homer about why she waited so long to bring the child to the hospital, she claimed “she did not want to deal with ‘all of this’” or risk having her child taken by the state, deputies said.
According to deputies, Homer showed them messages between herself and Bratt from earlier that morning, which read as follows:
-- Unknown date and time --
Bratt: “So when are you coming back?”
Bratt: *Big eye emoji*
Homer: “Mannn I dunno”
-- March 26 at 4:34 a.m. --
Bratt: “Rose?”
Homer: “Stawppp”
Bratt: “You said you would be gone like 3 hours”
Bratt: “That you specifically wouldn’t be out til like 5″
Bratt: “We had plans tonight and you ditched me for a guy you just met”
Bratt: “Why”
Bratt: “Please come home.”
Homer: “(Expletive) stop wtf”
Bratt: “Hello, I’m sorry for jake’s behavior, I’m just checking in with you, are you doing ok?”
Bratt: “I really don’t want to call you after seeing how many times he called you but I could really use some help with (the child)”
Homer: “I just wanna be out for a bit, I’m not mad at you that was just a lot, I can’t right now”
Bratt: “I understand. I’m sorry for our behavior”
Bratt: “Fine, I’ll let jack back out. I’m sorry.”
Both Homer and Bratt were later arrested on April 26 at a motel room they were staying at, deputies said.
During an interview, Bratt claimed he has “many personalities” and that he’s unable to see what “Jake” does sometimes.
“He explained how Jake is not romantically interested in (Homer) and is more of a friend to her. He advised Jake is also capable of taking care of the juvenile victim,” the affidavit reads.
Bratt also told detectives that he had been irritated because Homer was had left to meet another guy when she was supposed to spend time with him, as the two were in an “open relationship,” investigators said.
Both Bratt and “Jake” provided the same account of what happened on March 26, though deputies said they told him his story didn’t line up with the injuries the child suffered, prompting Bratt to ask for an attorney.
When detectives spoke with Homer, she admitted to deleting messages on her phone that would have made Bratt look bad, according to the affidavit.
Bratt faces charges of child cruelty and child neglect. He was released on bond of $60,000.
Meanwhile, Homer faces a charge of child neglect and was released on bond of $10,000.
Both Bratt and Homer have a court date scheduled for May 28.
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