Port Charlotte, FL – Authorities in the Sunshine State claim a couple are in jail after a newborn “in their care” had emergency surgery to fix a fractured skull and bleeding brain.

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Shona M. Hochsprung, 22, and Alexander M. Ransom, 24, are each charged with one count of child negligence with serious bodily damage.

After a brief examination into the infant’s serious injuries and what authorities characterised as the couple’s inadequate justifications, both defendants were taken into custody on Tuesday.

The infant is anticipated to survive, albeit with reduced capacity, following a recent successful surgery. The unnamed kid victim is expected to have “significant medical issues” for the rest of their life, according to authorities, and is facing a protracted recovery procedure.

The infant was brought to Golisano’s Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers, a sizable city on the western coast of the state, on March 24.

The sheriff’s office claims that the child’s “life-threatening injuries” prompted the medical staff to summon investigators that day.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, “the injuries included multiple skull fractures, bleeding in the brain, a stroke, and more.” When investigators arrived, staff said that the baby was in “extremely critical condition” and undergoing emergency surgery.

Investigators later separated the two defendants and asked them individually about the injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.

It seems that the rather usual investigation strategy worked.

“During questioning, both had different explanations about how the infant sustained the injuries and their stories were inconsistent,” the press release goes on. “One explanation provided by Hochsprung was that she had rolled over onto the baby while asleep, but had immediately woken up and rolled off once the child cried. Hospital staff advised that was not a viable explanation for the injuries.”

However, investigators allegedly found that the two were able to come to a consensus on one point: Hochsprung and Ransom were the only other individuals present at their home when the child was injured on March 23 at Port Charlotte, a sizable census-designated location about 30 miles northwest of Fort Myers.

Investigations then revealed online searches that officials deemed sufficiently enough to record and disseminate.

According to the sheriff’s office, Ransom searched for the terms “dent in baby forehead” and “do babies snore?” at approximately 5 p.m. on the day before the youngster was admitted to the hospital. Law enforcement claims such searches show the man knew about the child’s injuries for hours before he eventually sought medical attention.

“As a father, I know there is nothing so precious as the life of a child. I ask you to join me in prayer, as this infant fights for survival, that God grants a better life going forward,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “The individuals who were supposed to be caring for this child have many questions still to answer, and they will be held accountable. In the meantime, my heart is with that child and all who are impacted.”

According to jail records, both suspects are still being held without bond.