Baker County parents arrested for child abuse

BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — In an investigation by Baker County Sheriff’s Office, detectives revealed on Apr. 28 that Andrea Southard, 22, and Donald Holland, 23, abused and neglected their six-month-old son.

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The infant was taken to Wolfson Children’s Hospital earlier last week for what detectives originally believed was a fractured arm to the couple’s child. As the investigation unfolded, officials learned their son had suffered a total of six broke bones in his upper and lower extremities.

Some of the injuries were believed to have occurred weeks or months prior and had gone untreated.

Interviews with witnesses allowed detectives to learn the couple verbally abused the infant when he would cry and aggressively handled their son.

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As a result of the investigation Southard and Holland were charged with aggravated child abuse (two counts) and child neglect.