Man Kills Toddler by Severing Her Spine After Breakup

An Ocala man has been arrested in the death of a toddler that was reportedly in his care.

Travis Ray Thompson, 25, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, detectives were contacted on May 3 in regards to a child that died after arriving at AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares.

Investigators determined that Thompson abused the toddler while she was in his care, “which resulted in her spine being completely severed.”

According to officials, Thompson claimed he was in a separate room when he heard a loud noise and rushed to find the girl unresponsive.

“Instead of calling 911, Thompson waited for 30 minutes for the victim’s mother to arrive and only then began driving to the hospital. While en route to the hospital, the victim’s mother directed Thompson to call 911 when she realized the victim had stopped breathing altogether,” a news release states.

A medical examiner determined that Thompson must have applied “significant, gradual force to the victim’s upper and lower body from the front with a fulcrum point on her lower back.”

Additionally, the girl’s mother told investigators she broke up with Thompson about a week before her daughter died and that he was angry about the breakup.

Thompson was already on misdemeanor probation for failure to comply with an injunction to prevent child abuse.

He is being held in the Marion County Jail without bond.