Robert Lee Ingram Jr., 22, and Gracie Jai Tellez, 20, were both charged with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect
Credit: Broward Sheriff’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- Florida parents Robert Lee Ingram Jr., 22, and Gracie Jai Tellez, 20, have been charged in the death of their 7-week-old baby girl
- The infant was found unresponsive on Oct. 14, 2025, and was declared brain dead four days later
- Police say the baby suffered blunt head trauma caused by “violent shaking”
The parents of a 7-week-old baby girl have been arrested and charged after police say the infant died after suffering blunt head trauma caused by “violent shaking.”
Robert Lee Ingram Jr., 22, and Gracie Jai Tellez, 20, were arrested by U.S. Marshals in Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 7 following an investigation by the Hollywood Police Department, according to a press release from the U.S. Marshals Service. They were both charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.
Emergency responders were dispatched on Oct. 14, 2025, after Tellez called 911 to report that her infant daughter was “cold, pale and unresponsive,” per the release. When Hollywood police officers and paramedics arrived at the residence, they performed CPR on the baby before transporting her to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where she was placed on life support.
Credit: Broward Sheriff’s Office
At the time, both Ingram and Tellez initially told investigators that the baby had been acting normally, had been fed a bottle and was placed in her bassinet for a nap shortly before she was found unresponsive, per the release.
Four days later, on Oct. 18, the child was declared brain dead, and she later was taken off life support, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
The Broward County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death to be complications of blunt head trauma and classified the manner of death as homicide. Investigators concluded that the parents were directly responsible for the baby’s death.
According to the arrest warrant, issued on July 27, Ingram and Tellez provided false statements about using FaceTime on their phones to monitor the baby when they were instead playing video games and watching YouTube videos, per CBS News and NBC6. Police described their actions as “an attempt to conceal the true circumstances” surrounding their daughter’s death.
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Credit: Broward Sheriff’s Office
The arrest warrant also stated that the two parents gave varying accounts of what happened in the hours leading up to their child being found unresponsive, per the outlets.
“Neither parent could provide any reasonable explanation for how the victim suffered her injuries,” police said. “The types of injuries the victim suffered are caused by a violent impact and repeated acceleration/deceleration of the victim’s head/neck (i.e. violent shaking).”
Police added, “Although Robert Ingram and Gracie Tellez deny having any involvement in or knowledge of how the victim received her fatal injuries, they failed to or omitted to provide the proper care and supervision essential for her well-being.”
Ingram and Tellez are currently being held in separate Broward County jails without bond.
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.
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