Babysitter charged with murder after 5-month-old boy dies in Jacksonville

A Jacksonville woman who admitted to throwing a 5-month-old into his playpen is now charged with murder after the baby died from his injuries.

Police were called to a home on Davis Road on March 7 after reports that a baby was not breathing.

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Barbara Kendrick, 65, admitted to police that she threw the baby into his playpen.

She told police Cooper had been fussy because he had a fever and was teething.

Cooper was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He had a skull fracture and no brain activity, according to police reports.

Kendrick was initially charged with aggravated child abuse after doctors determined Cooper had injuries that resulted from some type of trauma, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.

Her charges were upgraded to murder after Cooper died from his injuries on March 8.

Kendrick told officers she had been watching Cooper for approximately two months.

A family friend said Cooper was his parents' first child.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Cooper's family to assist with funeral expenses.

Cox Media Group