“Marion County Woman Arrested for Death of 17-Month-Old Jermiyah”

A Marion County woman has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after causing injuries to her 17-month-old son, resulting in his death. The incident occurred in April when deputies responded to a call about an “unresponsive infant” at the woman’s residence in Summerfield, Florida. The toddler, identified as Jermiyah, was taken to the hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries two days later.

According to the sheriff’s office, the mother, Tracie Puskac, initially claimed that Jermiyah had been banging his head on the floor the previous night. She said she moved him to a safe spot and held him down. However, her story changed during subsequent interviews with investigators, with Puskac providing different accounts of how her son had sustained his head injuries.

Detectives became suspicious of Puskac’s explanations as the severity of Jermiyah’s injuries did not align with any of the scenarios provided by his mother. An autopsy revealed that the toddler died from complications of a skull fracture, subdural hemorrhage, and traumatic brain and spinal injury due to injuries to his head and neck.

It was also discovered that Puskac had a history with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), which had an open case involving her. She admitted that she did not call 911 when Jermiyah became stiff that night because she did not want DCF to take her children away again.

After an arrest warrant was issued, Puskac was found and arrested at her home. She is currently being held without bond.

This tragic case highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable children and the role agencies like DCF play in ensuring their safety. It also serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from acts of violence against children. The arrest of Puskac brings some measure of justice for Jermiyah, but it cannot undo the tragic loss of a young life..