Babysitter Critically Injures 11-Month-Old, Leaves Child With Fractured Rib, Brain Swelling

A babysitter in Jacksonville, Florida, was charged with aggravated child abuse for physically abusing an infant, leaving the child with critical injuries. Local media said Kala Vinson was arrested recently after a warrant was issued in January at a townhome on Playpen Drive on the city's westside.

Police said an 11-month-old baby was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries in January. According to an arrest warrant, Vinson told doctors the little girl fell down two stairs, but a medical report from the child protection team concluded the girl's injuries were the result of physical abuse. Doctors found the girl’s liver and spleen were lacerated, and she had internal bleeding, a fractured rib and brain swelling, the warrant read.

The child, identified by the mother as Syren Maloney, is now struggling for her life. Authorities said the mother found Vinson on a babysitter website and she decided to leave the baby in her care while she went to work.

Necol Clayton, the mother, told local media News4Jax she got a phone call at work telling her that her daughter was seriously injured.

"I couldn't stand up when they told me," she recalled. “I was initially angry. Now I’m at the point where I need justice for my daughter.”

“I did a background check on her to make sure she was someone safe," she added. "The background check came back fine. We met up one weekend. We talked. I met her kids, saw her place and everything was good to go.”

Syren's mother said her child underwent multiple surgeries and remained on life support as of Thursday. Doctors reportedly told the mother that if the child survives, she will suffer from permanent brain damage.

“To be told that, 'Hey, maybe she won’t do more than lay in a bed and be fed,' it’s horrible because that’s not a life," she said. "It's more than difficult and more than what I feel capable of doing as far as making these decisions for my daughter because as a parent, when you have child, there is no part of you that wants to see them leave this earth before you do.”

Vinson remained in the Duval County jail, where she was held on a $250,000 bond.

A GoFundMe page was created requesting the public to help pay for the child's hospital bills.

In another horrific incident of abuse by a babysitter, a 15-month-old was battered to death in Delaware. Lavar Harris, 38, was so desperate to make the child cry that he ended up killing the baby.

Harris, from Wilmington, assaulted the child several times in February 2018 along with fellow babysitter Tameke Wright, 23. Wright was also arrested after police ruled the baby's death to be a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.