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Highlands Today

COMPLETE STORY: Man Arrested In Shaken Baby's Death

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Edgar Michael Otero, 29, was arrested Tuesday night and charged in the aggravated child cruelty case.

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By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: November 14, 2007

SEBRING — A Sebring man remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail Wednesday, charged with aggravated battery on a child, in connection with injuries to a 3-month-old girl.

The baby, Alexa Hall, later died at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Edgar Michael Otero, 29, was arrested Tuesday night and charged in the aggravated child cruelty case.
According to the arrest report, the baby was brought by the child's mother, Brandy Hall, 21, to a Sebring home where Otero was staying.

A witness, who is only referred to as "other" in the report, told investigators that at some point the baby was jerking and went limp.

According to Sheriff's Lt. John Chess, the baby was brought to Florida Hospital at 6 a.m. Monday, and was flown out by Aeromed at 10 a.m. to St. Joseph's Hospital.

Brandy Hall and Otero reportedly brought the child in to the emergency room for an unknown sickness. Hospital officials decided the baby needed to be airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital.

"The baby was diagnosed by St. Joseph's doctors as having shaken baby syndrome," Chess said Wednesday.
At 12:25 p.m. Tuesday, life saving efforts were ended, he said.

"The baby was brain dead," Chess said Wednesday. "The boyfriend (Otero) shook the baby and didn't realize he had shaken her that hard. (Otero) was arrested last night and is in the Highlands County Jail."

Otero's arrest was based upon statements he made to detectives, according to a sheriff's office press release.

It was not clear whose boyfriend Otero is or was.

The baby was brought to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office, for an autopsy. Depending on the results of the autopsy additional charges may be filed.

A judge later ordered a no-bond hold due to Otero's status on a prior case. Otero's arrest history dates back to when he was a juvenile on concealed weapon possession charge while on school grounds.

Since then he's been arrested in Highlands County on burglary and petty theft charges, violation of probation, convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, recommitted from the community maintenance program for DUI, driving without a driver's license, battery, and driving while driver's license suspended.

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