James Westervelt was recently indicted following the August 2024 death of his baby son
Credit: Marion County Sheriff’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- A Florida man has been charged with first-degree murder in the 2024 death of his 6-month-old son
- Investigators previously arrested James Westervelt on child abuse charges after allegedly discovering video of him blowing a leaf blower on the infant because he thought it was funny
- Authorities say new statements and evidence helped lead to the murder charge, and Westervelt remains in custody ahead of a September court appearance
A Florida man who allegedly once used a leaf blower on his infant son because he thought it was funny has been charged with the child’s murder.
James Westervelt of Ocala was charged in the August 2024 death of his 6-month-old son, per Marion County public court records and ABC affiliate WCJB.
Westervelt, 38, was already in custody on child abuse charges related to the same child, per public court records and NBC affiliate WESH.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
According to reporting from WESH, MCSO deputies were called to Westervelt’s home following reports of an unresponsive infant in the summer of 2024.
The infant was taken to a local hospital and placed on life support, but died several days later, per the outlet.
Doctors determined the infant’s cause of death was blunt force trauma caused by violent shaking, per WCJB.
Credit: Oliver Helbig/Moment RF/Getty
Police later said video surfaced showing Westervelt blowing air on the same child with a leaf blower during an incident that took place prior to the infant’s later fatal injuries. Authorities said the footage led to his arrest on a child abuse charge, per WESH.
“Eventually, once Westervelt was arrested in April this year for child abuse of the same victim, [authorities] were able to interview him again while in jail. It had been a couple of years since he provided his initial statement. He provided enough contradicting evidence. We worked with the state attorney’s office to, basically, charge him with murder,” the MCSO said in a statement, per the outlet.
Investigators also stated that Westervelt claimed he used the leaf blower on his son because he thought it would be funny, according to previous reporting from WCJB.
Public court and arrest records show that Westervelt was initially charged with second-degree murder without premeditation, but prosecutors dismissed the charge and refiled a first-degree murder charge with premeditation on Thursday, July 30.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Westervelt’s next court appearance in relation to the murder charge is scheduled for September, per court records.
An attorney for Westervelt did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the full article here
