A 21-year-old Ocala babysitter was arrested Thursday on first-degree murder charges in the death of an 11-month-old child last year.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said the infant's mother dropped off her child, John William Smith, with the babysitter, Nora Boles, on her way to work Sept. 5, 2016.
The mom said Boles told her at about 4 p.m. that afternoon that the infant would not wake up and was only partially responsive.
The boy’s mother took the child to a local hospital for treatment. Staff at the hospital alerted law enforcement that because of the severity of the infant's head injury, there was a high probability that abuse was involved.
Investigators said Boles' statements to law enforcement changed several times.
The infant was transported to the University of Florida’s Health Shands Hospital where he died Sept. 6.
The sheriff’s office said that Boles later admitted that she had become frustrated with the child and threw him across the room, causing the fatal head injury.
This case was reviewed by a grand jury, leading to an indictment of first-degree murder.
Boles is currently being held in the Marion County Jail with no bond.
