NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — An autopsy revealed a 9-month-old baby died from blunt force head trauma in 2021, and Nassau County deputies say the man responsible has been arrested.
Twenty-seven-year-old Kete James Lanty was arrested Tuesday for second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. Action News Jax learned that he is an LCS sailor at Mayport.
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Lanty was babysitting the child on June 18, 2021 while the child’s mother, whom with Lanty was in a romantic relationship, left the home for work, according to his arrest report.
On June 19, Lanty called 911 complaining that the child was suffering a medical emergency and the child was rushed to the hospital.
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Lanty, during which he showed deputies a cell phone recording of the child laying on his stomach above vomit on the carpet. In the video, Lanty was yelling at the child for vomiting, according to the report.
The events detailing how the child received blunt force head trauma were not disclosed in the report. The infant died at the hospital on June 21, 2021.
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On March 2, 2022 the NCSO received the autopsy from the medical examiner’s office that said the child’s death was deemed a homicide.
Action News Jax received the following statement from Naval Station Mayport:
“A Sailor assigned to Pre-commissioning unit (PCU) Cooperstown was arrested by NCIS and turned over to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office May 3, 2022. Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2 (LCSRON 2) is cooperating fully with local authorities and extending support as needed.”
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