MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Marion County mother was arrested for felony child neglect, and a man was charged with homicide following the death of 3-year-old Paisley Brown, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Jennifer Farrah Kendrick and Jeroen Jarrel Coombs are being held without bond at the Marion County Jail.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office announced the charges after an investigation into the Feb. 19, incident. Detectives determined that Coombs struck the child multiple times, resulting in her death, while Kendrick failed to protect the girl despite knowing of prior abuse.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they arrived at a home in the 16500 block of NE 44th Avenue at approximately 12:00 p.m. on Feb. 19.
First responders said they found Paisley unresponsive and transported her to a local hospital, where she later died.
At the scene, deputies were informed that Coombs had harmed the child and was attempting to leave the area. Officials said he was detained while Major Crimes detectives initiated an investigation.
Detectives said they learned that Coombs was home alone with the children on the morning of the incident, he notified Kendrick that the child was unresponsive at approximately 10:58 a.m., but 911 was not called until about 40 minutes later.
Major Crimes Detectives Karla Santana-Palau and Paxton later interviewed Coombs. According to investigators, Coombs admitted to causing the injuries that led to Paisley’s death.
Detective Santana-Palau interviewed Kendrick on March 4. They said while Kendrick initially denied having knowledge of any abuse, detectives confronted her with evidence from the investigation.
Detectives said Kendrick then admitted she was aware that Coombs had previously bound and abused Paisley. She acknowledged that her failure to intervene allowed the abuse to continue and contributed to the child’s death.
Officials said Kendrick was also found to be in violation of her felony probation at the time of her arrest. She was transported to the Marion County Jail, where Coombs was already being held for a previous charge of aggravated child abuse.
Both individuals are now facing charges related to the 3-year-old’s death.
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