Florida man accused of killing Paisley Brown, 3, also charged with child abuse of 2 kids
MARION COUNTY, Fla. - Editor's note: This story details alleged child abuse, and the allegations are graphic and disturbing – and may be difficult for some people to read. Viewer discretion advised.
Officials are interviewing multiple children believed to be involved in a similar situation that led to the death of a three-year-old girl in Marion County.
Jeroen Jarrel Coombs (left) and Paisley Brown.
What we know:
Three-year-old Paisley Brown died after she was reported unresponsive in a Citra home in Marion County on Feb. 19.
Deputies with the Marion County Sheriff's office arrested Jeroen Jarrel Coombs, 32, in connection to Paisley's death. On March 4, Coombs was charged with murder without premeditation. This charge was upgraded from aggravated child abuse.
Coombs was also charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated child abuse without great bodily harm of two other children, court documents show.
Paisley's death was ruled a homicide, per a report from the coroner, which revealed blunt force trauma on the back of Paisley's head.
‘This is standard practice’
Coombs was alone watching several children – including Paisley – on Feb. 19 when Paisley became unresponsive. Coombs was identified as Paisley's caretaker and her mom's boyfriend.
Read: Florida man arrested in Marion County girl's death; girl was bound, taped, dropped, officials say
During an investigation, Coombs initially claimed Paisley was groggy when she woke up. However, deputies noticed that Paisley had bruising and ligature marks on her body, the sheriff's office said. When deputies asked Coombs about the marks, he admitted to causing the injuries that led to her death, deputies said.
Coombs reportedly told deputies that he bound Paisley's hands with a robe tie and her legs with tape to keep her from grabbing for her diaper in the night.
He also admitted to dropping her on the floor while she was bound, saying she gasped for air. He also said he hit her multiple times before realizing he "took it too far," deputies said.
Lt. Paul Bloom, with the Marion County Sheriff's office, said investigators are learning – through speaking with other alleged child victims – that the alleged abuse was "standard practice."
911 called 40 minutes later
Coombs called Paisley's mom – telling her the girl was unresponsive – around 11 a.m. that day.
911 wasn't called until 11:40 a.m., when the mom returned home.
Coombs said he didn't call 911 because he was scared, the sheriff's office said.
Girl's mom accused of child neglect
Paisley's mother, Jennifer Farrah Kendrick, 26, was arrested March 4 on two counts of felony child neglect.
Bloom confirmed that Kendrick had been investigated since Paisley's death, but "justice has to run its course," he said.
Bloom commented on the mom's lack of calling 911 right away.
Kendrick initially denied knowledge of the abuse but later admitted she knew Coombs had harmed Paisley and failed to act, allowing the abuse to continue. Kendrick – who was on probation from a previous crime – is now in violation of her probation due to being charged with another crime. She was denied bond on March 5.
The investigation into Kendrick's involvement continues. The investigation isn't done, Bloom said.
It's not known if Kendrick will be charged with murder at this time, but Bloom said it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Watch: March 5 press conference
Mom, caretaker of girl, 3, charged in connection to her death
PRESS CONFERENCE | The mother and caretaker of 3-year-old Paisley Brown, who died on Feb. 19, have been charged in connection to her death. The Marion County Sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing as more kids also affected are being interviewed.
Were more children affected?
Investigators are speaking with more children who were "witnesses to this torture – to this murder," Bloom said.
"After speaking with these children and getting these stories, these charges were brought up," he said.
Other children living in the home range from one to nine years old. It's not known how many children lived in the home, but officials have confirmed at least three – including Paisley.
Where are the other children?
What's next:
Bloom didn't say who or where the remaining children were living. He said the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified.
"We're talking to children," Bloom said, saying the eldest is nine years old. "Getting the story accurately accounted. I would say with some good probability, there may be some more charges coming."
The children are currently doing well, he said.
Bloom's hope is for the children who survived the alleged abuse to know – 10 or 15 years from now – the people cared about them.
"Even though they lived in a home of violence, of fear, of selfishness, (my hope is that) that they see that there's a community out there that did have love, did have concern for them and does care for them," Bloom said. "… We would have done everything in the world to stop it."
Bloom said he hopes 10 to 15 years from now, the kids will look back on their lives and see that what they were in was not normal.
"We're putting them with the right people and getting them away from the wrong people," he said.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Marion County Sheriff's office.