Bartow man charged with beating 4-month-old daughter to death while mother at work

A Bartow man was arrested Tuesday and charged with beating his 4-month-old daughter to death after dropping her mother off at work.

Jacob Kubai, 22, is facing felony charges including one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child, one count of aggravated child abuse and two counts of knowingly abusing a child without bodily harm.

Bartow Police Chief Andy Ray and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd briefed the media late Wednesday afternoon in a news conference at the Sheriff's Operations Center in Winter Haven.

Ray said the police department received a phone call about 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 from Bartow Regional Hospital. A 4-month-old girl, Willow "Strawberry" Kubai, had arrived at the emergency room in cardiac arrest with suspicious physical injuries.

Willow was briefly stabilized, Ray said, and transported by helicopter to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. Once there, doctors determined she had a skull fracture, multiple layers of bleeding in the brain, 10 fractured ribs with multiple impact bruises and scratches.

Willow lived for two days before dying as a result of her injuries.

"The baby was literally beaten to death," Judd said.

Ray said he immediately contacted the Polk County Sheriff's Office asking for assistance in investigating the homicide case.

Polk County deputies conducted separate interviews with Jacob Kubai and his wife, Rebekah. Neither was able to explain how Willow got her injuries.

Jacob Kubai told deputies he had dropped his wife off to work at Texas Cattle Company in Lakeland about 4:55 p.m. on Feb. 22, Judd said. Kubai then brought his daughter home, where Judd said Kubai began playing video games before making dinner.

Kubai told deputies that he took Willow to Walmart about 6:40 p.m., according to Judd. Security video footage obtained by the Sheriff's Office shows Kubai at a self-checkout register at 6:54 p.m. with no sign of the baby.

Judd said detectives believe Kubai injured his daughter, Willow, prior to heading out to Walmart.

Deputies said Kubai claimed to have fed the baby about 7:50 p.m. then checked on her every 10 minutes, according to Judd. Around 8:10 p.m. Kubai said he noticed he baby was not breathing and began to administer CPR.

Judd said based on evidence gathered during the homicide investigation, it appears Kubai gave the infant five chest compressions.

An autopsy performed Feb. 27 by the District 10 Medical Examiner's Office revealed Willow had a minimum of 10 blunt force trauma injuries to her forehead, a swollen and hemorrhaged spine and 10 rib fractures were in a healing stage but consistent with the "squeezing of a child."

"Based on the injuries noted, the skull fracture would have been caused by the caregiver at that time," reads the autopsy's conclusion. "The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma of the head. The manner of death was ruled as a homicide."

After some time left in a jail cell, Jacob Kubai asked to speak with investigators recounting that "none of this is real. My wife isn't real. My baby isn't real," according to Judd.

Jacob Kubai has no history of mental illness or any prior criminal record, Judd said.

After further investigation, it was determined that at least on two occasions Jacob Kubai left his infant daughter alone on Jan. 17 and Feb. 22. with no caregiver.

The baby's mother, Rebekah Kubai, "responded appropriately" when learning her daughter had suffered serious life-threatening injuries, Judd said, questioning how she received the injuries.

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The Sheriff's Office investigation remains ongoing. Judd said there is no information at this time indicating the mother participated in Willow's death or had any knowledge of what was happening.

Jacob Kubai is currently being held without bail in Polk County jail.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 4-month-old baby 'beaten to death.' Father charged with manslaughter