Central Florida woman accused of killing her 17-month-old son, deputies say
A woman from Summerfield was arrested for allegedly killing her young son after an autopsy concluded the boy died from trauma to the neck and head, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said investigators believe Tracie Puskac, 36, killed her 17-month-old son named Jermiyah Puskac in April.
On April 27, Tracie Puskac’s mother called rescue officials in reference to her grandson being unresponsive. When deputies arrived to Tracie Puskac’s home on the 13500 block of Southeast 42 Avenue, she told investigators that Jermiyah Puskac was banging his head on the floor the previous night and at one point he became “stiff as a board.”
In addition, Puskac described her son having shortness of breath and blue lips when she woke up the next day. It was then when Puskac asked her mother call 911, she told deputies. Investigators say Tracie Puskac changed her version of the story several times when talking to deputies.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, rescue officials transported the infant to the nearest hospital for treatment. He died in a hospital two days later.
An autopsy report released last week by the 8th Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office determined the manner of death was a homicide.
The report said the boy died from “complications of a skull fracture, subdural hemorrhage and traumatic brain and spinal cord injury due to abusive head and neck trauma.”
The investigation into Jermiyah’s death determined his injuries were “too severe” to be caused the child banging his own head, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Puskac did not call authorities when her son became “stiff” the previous night, because she did not want the Department of Children and Families to potentially take her children away again. Court records show Puskac was previously charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, among other charges in 2020. The case was later dropped.
DCF has an open case with Puskac and had previously removed the children from the home, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Puskac was arrested Monday on a charge of second-degree murder.
She is being held at the Marion County Jail with no bond.
