CLERMONT, Fla. – A grieving family is still searching for answers two months after their 9-month-old boy was found unresponsive in a car seat at a family home day care in Clermont.
The family of Zachary Jackson recently hired attorney Tom Scolaro to investigate and potentially file a lawsuit against the Dodd Family Daycare, its owners and "anyone else responsible for Zachary's horrific death," Scolaro told News 6.
Deputies said the owners of the day care are Joseph and Debbie Dodd.
Zachary was dropped off at the day care inside a home on Summerset Court on July 17. Lake County deputies said he was found unresponsive at 4:22 p.m. and rushed to the Clermont Centra Care on State Road 50 by a child care provider.
Lake County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Fred Jones said the baby was blue when deputies arrived at Clermont Centra Care.
Zachary was then taken to South Lake Hospital and transferred to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children where he died on July 18, DCF officials said.
When DCF investigators first interviewed the day care owners, they said Zachary had tried to climb out of his playpen and fell, but that story did not match Zachary's injuries, according to the report. Investigators said they later learned the 9-month-old was found unresponsive in a car seat by someone at the day care.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office has been investigating since the baby died, but a spokesperson said there are no updates in the case as of Wednesday.
The Medical Examiner's Office has not released the autopsy report or said how Zachary died.
A DCF spokesperson said their child death investigation is still open.
Scolaro released the following statement on behalf of Zachary's family:
"The family has retained me to investigate and potentially file a lawsuit against the Dodd Family Day Care, its owners and anyone else responsible for Zachary’s horrific death. However, Mrs. Jackson’s sole focus right now is to obtain answers into the death of her little boy. She is incredibly distraught and justifiably seething at the gross recklessness, indifference and outright lies coming from Debra Dodd. She is patiently waiting for the Sheriff’s Office to conclude its investigation so that those responsible that for Zachary’s death can be dealt with fully by the criminal justice system. We trust that the Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney’s Office will continue to fully investigate this preventable tragedy and provide this grieving mother and family with the answers they are desperately seeking right now."
The Lake County Sheriff's Office has not made any arrests or filed any charges in connection to this death investigation.
News 6 reached out to the day care owners Wednesday about the statement from the family's attorney. Joseph Dodd said he had no comment during a phone call.
No answers 2 months after baby boy dies at Clermont day care
Zachary Jackson's family hires attorney to investigate
Copyright 2018 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.