Speaking to AP, Gulatieri painted a picture of a single mother who seemed overwhelmed and ill-equipped to care for her three young children in the months leading up to the baby’s death. There had been numerous reports that Kathleen Steele was neglecting or even abusing her small children following the birth of her now-deceased daughter, and it is unknown at this point how well the surviving boys will adapt to their new lives.
Advertisement
The mother conceived her two younger children using the frozen sperm of her husband who passed away from cancer in 2011. Gualtieri said the 6-year-old boy took the baby from her auto seat, shook her and slammed her head against the ceiling.
Nevertheless, “the mistake is with the adult, not a six-year-old boy”, the sheriff said.
The boy will not face criminal charges and has been placed in therapeutic foster care, along with his brother (3).
Upon returning to the auto, the 6-year-old tried to tell his mom there was something wrong with the baby, authorities said, but she allegedly ignored him and ran another errand before heading home. The sheriff said video shows the woman leaving the children alone for 38 minutes while she was in the fix store. That’s when she noticed the baby’s injuries.
“The baby was beaten and traumatized”, the sheriff added. The elder Kathleen was arraigned in a Florida court on August 11 and later posted bail the required $100,000 and was released from police custody, reports the Tampa Bay Times.
Authorities said that the van’s ceiling had been covered in blood, and that the infant was likely dead after Kathleen returned to the auto.
She had had a devoted husband, sailboat and beach house, everything except the children she apparently wanted. The nurse then called 911.
Steele’s attorney said the mom was “certainly devastated” by her daughter’s death, but police painted a different picture of the “aloof” woman, who allegedly said, “I guess I have to plan a funeral”, hile authorities questioned her about the baby’s death. The nurse recognized the baby was dead, but performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
“By numerous witness accounts, Kathleen Steele was an inattentive parent”, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtien said”.
Advertisement
Gulatieri called the six-year-old bright and mature for his age, and said he even reminded his mother that they needed to renew their rental vehicle lease. The 6-year-old boy shook his little sister when she started crying, spun her, dropped her and slammed her head against the ceiling. That’s when, detectives say, she realized something was wrong.
