EAGLE LAKE, FL – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Zachary Ingram of Eagle Lake and charged him with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony, after a three-month-old baby under his care suffered critical injuries.
The investigation began on November 26, 2025, when deputies responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive infant at a home in Eagle Lake. Ingram initially told investigators that the baby was sleeping in his swing while he briefly used the bathroom. He said he found the child pale and unresponsive when he returned and performed CPR until emergency responders arrived.
Medical evaluations at Winter Haven Hospital revealed a brain bleed and bruising, and the infant was transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa for further care. A CT scan confirmed significant brain hemorrhaging. The baby remains in critical but stable condition.
During interviews, Ingram initially claimed the injuries were caused by a two-year-old hitting the baby with a rattle or by the baby falling while in his mother’s care. Subsequent interviews, supported by store surveillance footage, revealed that Ingram was the only adult alone with the child at the time of the injuries. Ingram admitted to shaking the baby both horizontally and vertically and acknowledged he may have shaken him harder than intended.
Medical experts confirmed that the infant’s injuries—including retinal hemorrhages, spinal cord trauma, bruising to the abdomen and buttocks, and seizures—are consistent with violent shaking and child abuse. A report from the Hillsborough County Child Protection Team concluded that the injuries are inconsistent with minor accidents or the presence of other children and will likely result in permanent brain damage.
Ingram was taken into custody on December 8, 2025, and is scheduled for his first appearance hearing.
Sheriff Grady Judd said, “The abuse that this baby suffered at the hands of his caregiver is simply unfathomable. We pray that this baby is able to recover from his significant injuries, and that the suspect is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
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