Florida parents were arrested in connection with the violent shaking death of their infant daughter.
Gracie Jai Tellez, 20, and Robert Lee Ingram, 22, were taken into custody Aug. 7 in Jacksonville by the US Marshals Service, according to law enforcement. The couple is accused in the death of their 7-week-old baby, who was found unresponsive at their Hollywood, Florida home on Oct. 14.
Tellez called 911 that day to report the infant was cold, pale and not breathing, investigators said. The baby was rushed to a hospital, where she was declared brain dead four days later. Her organs were donated before she was removed from life support.
While the parents allegedly told detectives their baby had been in perfect health, an autopsy revealed a far more disturbing picture. The infant suffered blunt force trauma to her head, brain injuries, bleeding in both eyes, retinal detachments and skull fractures, according to an affidavit reviewed by investigators. The injuries were consistent with “non-accidental head trauma” and “violent shaking,” and her death was ruled a homicide.
The couple’s account of the hours before the 911 call quickly unraveled under scrutiny. They claimed they had fed the baby and placed her in her bassinet to sleep, using FaceTime on their phones to monitor her, detectives said. But phone records told a different story. In the hours before the child was found unresponsive, Tellez and Ingram were busy playing Call of Duty, according to the investigation.
The pair were charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child. They were extradited from Jacksonville to Broward County, where they are being held without bond.
In the viral moment that preceded the arrests, the case had already drawn attention for the shocking contrast between the parents’ gaming activity and their daughter’s dire condition. The investigation spanned months as detectives pieced together the timeline, comparing the parents’ statements against digital evidence and medical findings. The affidavit detailed how doctors determined the infant’s injuries could not have been accidental, pointing to repeated or severe force.
The case has resonated across Florida and beyond as another instance of alleged fatal child abuse involving very young infants. The parents’ decision to play video games while their daughter lay dying, as alleged by investigators, has fueled particular outrage among those following the case.
Tellez and Ingram are expected to remain in custody at the Broward County Jail as the case proceeds.