BARTOW, FL – Jacob Kubai, a 22-year-old resident of Florida, is currently under investigation and has been charged with multiple offenses following the tragic death of his four-month-old daughter, Willow, as per the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges against Kubai, which were announced by Sheriff Grady Judd this Wednesday, include aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and two instances of knowingly abusing a child without inflicting bodily harm. These charges stem from a joint death investigation initiated on February 22 by the Bartow Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation began when Willow was rushed to Bartow Regional Medical Center, showing no signs of brain activity and bearing suspicious physical injuries. She was then transferred to Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa via helicopter, where a series of devastating injuries were revealed, including a fractured skull, multiple brain hemorrhages, broken ribs, and numerous scratches and bruises. Willow tragically passed away from her injuries two days later.
Sheriff Judd stated that while such investigations typically take several months to conclude, the severity of Willow’s injuries left no room for doubt regarding her cause of death. He expressed his shock and disbelief at the incident, firmly stating that the father should be subjected to the harshest penalty permitted by law.
In separate interviews with a Polk County detective, neither Kubai nor his wife could account for Willow’s injuries. Kubai insisted that his daughter was in good health during their trip to Walmart on the day of the incident. However, this claim was contradicted by security footage, which showed Kubai alone at a self-checkout register. When questioned about this inconsistency, Kubai declined to offer any further information.
It was determined that Willow’s injuries occurred while she was solely under Kubai’s care. His wife was at work during the three-hour period leading up to Willow’s hospital admission and confirmed that Willow had no visible bruises when she left the house.
An autopsy of Willow revealed multiple blunt force trauma injuries, a swollen and hemorrhaged spine, an acute skull fracture, and ten rib fractures in the process of healing. The autopsy concluded that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.