Left: Jasper Shick. Right: Sarah Rediker (Nassau County Sheriff's Office).
A Florida father and mother face criminal charges in a "disturbing case of child abuse" in which the dad snapped their 6-month-old's femur bone while the couple was changing a diaper, according to cops. Police say the father "squeezed the child so tight" that the couple "knew" the child's bone was broken but "chose not to call 911 or go to the hospital."
Jasper Shick, 34, and Sarah Rediker, 36, are both charged with felonies in connection with the alleged incident, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday on Facebook.
Shick is facing an aggravated child abuse charge and is also accused of making false statements to investigators. Rediker is charged with child neglect and making a false report of child abuse. An investigation was launched after the baby's grandmother allegedly brought the 6-month-old to a local hospital with the broken femur.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
"Investigators received information from medical staff Monday night about the baby's significant injuries and need for surgery," the sheriff's office says. "Upon arrival, detectives spoke with the victim's grandmother who agreed to let them inside her house in Fernandina Beach where the victim and suspects live."
While inside the home, authorities observed a "baby's crib inside a closet," several empty alcohol cans throughout the main bedroom, and numerous items "consistent with marijuana" that were "well within reach of the victim," according to cops.
"Small torches, camping propane tanks, bongs, and containers with loose marijuana were also within the victim's reach," the sheriff's office says. "The investigation revealed that the suspects were attempting to change a diaper around 7 p.m. on Monday when the victim became fussy because they are teething."
Police allege that Shick "squeezed the child so tight, he knew he had hurt the child." The couple did nothing, and it was the baby's grandmother who ultimately brought the infant to the hospital after she arrived at their home around 10 p.m., cops say.
"Detectives later learned the father had drank and smoked marijuana before the incident," the sheriff's office says.
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper described the case as "heartbreaking," with the alleged abuse being inflicted on a "defenseless baby," per the top cop.
"Protecting children, especially at this most vulnerable age, is my top priority," Leeper said in a statement.
Shick and Rediker were both being held on $75,000 and $50,000 bond, respectively, after being arrested and charged on Tuesday. A no-contact order has been filed against both of them, according to online court records.
