A Florida mother has been charged with aggravated child abuse resulting in death after investigators determined that her three-month-old son died from blunt-force trauma rather than an accidental sleeping incident.
Police arrested 42-year-old Jessica Vlasac following an investigation into the infant’s death in Lakeland, Florida.
Emergency responders rushed the unresponsive baby to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to local outlet WFLA, Vlasac initially told investigators that she had accidentally fallen asleep next to her son and woke up to find him face down and unresponsive.
However, a medical examination raised questions about her account.
The medical examiner found internal bleeding in the infant’s head, three distinct impact marks on his forehead and a uniquely shaped cut.
Detectives noted that Vlasac was wearing a large ring that appeared to match the shape of the cut on the child’s forehead. Forensic examiners later determined that the injury was consistent with an impact from the ring.
Investigators subsequently ruled out accidental co-sleeping as the cause of the fatal injuries.
Police also uncovered text messages indicating that Vlasac had purchased alcohol several hours before the incident. In subsequent messages to the child’s father, she appeared to acknowledge responsibility for the baby’s death.
The father told investigators that Vlasac becomes violent when drinking and said she later asked him to conceal their messages from detectives.
During a search, Vlasac reportedly asked investigators whether her ring could have caused the fatal injury.
She was charged with aggravated child abuse resulting in death and remains in custody at Polk County Jail.
HORRIFIC: A Florida woman has been arrested after a 3-month-old baby died from multiple blunt-force injuries, and investigators say the infant’s wounds were consistent with the massive square-shaped ring she was wearing.
Polk County deputies arrested 42-year-old Jessica Vlasac… pic.twitter.com/hspoDMkIFR
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) September 14, 2026
The Florida case comes as another US mother faces murder allegations following a separate incident in Illinois that has drawn comparisons to the high-profile trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy.
According to court records, 40-year-old Corie Walsh is accused of killing her two-year-old son, Barrett, at their home in Frankfort, Illinois, on September 1, 2026, before attempting to take her own life.
Prosecutors said text messages showed Walsh discussing the Clancy trial in a group chat just hours before the incident.
A neighbour discovered the toddler and called emergency services, while another child in the home was unharmed. Walsh’s husband and three other children were away at the time, according to prosecutors.
Police later reported that Walsh made statements referring to her son as the “anti-Christ” and the “devil”.
Prosecutors have asked that Walsh remain detained without bail, citing statements they say she made about harming other members of her family.
Her defence attorney, Andrea Lyon, said Walsh was experiencing a severe psychotic episode at the time, describing the incident as a profound heartbreak for the family.
Walsh was hospitalised for her injuries and was scheduled to appear in court on September 8.
The case has drawn comparisons with that of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children.
Clancy’s trial ended in a mistrial on September 4 after her defence argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Clancy had previously said a voice instructed her to carry out the killings before she attempted suicide, an act that left her paralysed.
She remains in custody under psychiatric care at Tewksbury State Hospital and is scheduled to return to court on September 29.