CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. -- A Port Charlotte man is accused of brutally beating his girlfriend's 1 year-old son whom he was babysitting.
20-year-old Shane Voswinkel is charged with aggravated battery on a minor. According to a CCSO report, Voswinkel was watching the toddler while his mother worked when the alleged incident occurred.
A woman living next to Voswinkel told detectives she knew it was “something was bad” when she heard the child hysterically crying and screaming. Minutes after hearing the screams she claims Voswinkel began frantically banging on her door, holding the limp child who was red in color and had something coming from his mouth.
According to the deputy who first arrived on the scene, the toddler was barely breathing. The deputy began CPR, and the child slowly began to move his arms but when he tried to sit up he collapsed, according to the deputy.
Voswinkel appeared to be alone with the child when the incident occurred.
He initially claimed the child had suffered a seizure; however doctors determined there were no signs of seizure activity after an EEG test.
Investigators say the toddler had bruises all over his body. An MRI revealed an injury to his neck. It was "like his neck was snapped" said the doctor.
The toddler was flown to John Hopkin’s All Children’s Hospital in Tampa where he was intubated and held in the intensive care unit for 24 hours.
DCF has launched a child protection investigation into the current situation. According to a spokesperson, the child not is not in the mother’s custody at this time.
