Lehigh Acres man accused of violently shaking baby

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WINK)—A Lehigh Acres man is accused of nearly killing a four-month-old baby.

Investigators say the child suffered life-threatening head injuries after the father became frustrated when the baby wouldn't stop crying. The Lee County Sheriff's Office says this case started as a medical emergency but quickly turned into a child abuse investigation.

Deputies responded Wednesday to a home on Gordon Avenue South in Lehigh Acres after getting a report of an unresponsive four-month-old infant. At the hospital, doctors determined the child had severe head injuries consistent with non-accidental trauma.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno says 23-year-old Chancelor Rolle admitted he became frustrated when the baby wouldn't stop crying, then aggressively rocked the baby, hit the child's head against a door frame and violently shook the child. The sheriff's office says detectives spent hours interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence and working with medical experts before arresting Rolle.

"Just the shaking of the child alone could kill the child. Now you smash the child's head into a doorjamb. I mean, this is violence at the top, top peak of violence to a child, more specific, a baby who has no defense," Marceno said.

The four-month-old is still in the hospital recovering. Rolle made his first appearance in court and faces an aggravated child abuse charge.

The sheriff's office says the investigation remains active.