5-week-old girl killed by dad who squeezed her with such 'extreme force' that her ribs broke: Police

Background: The building in DeLand, Fla., that houses the Volusia County Sheriff”s Office (Google Maps). Inset: Dajuan Patrick (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office).

A man from Florida is currently detained without the possibility of bail following allegations linking him to the tragic demise of his infant daughter, who was just five weeks old.

Dajuan Patrick, aged 27, was taken into custody in Jacksonville under a warrant issued by Volusia County. He faces charges of aggravated manslaughter related to the untimely death of his daughter, Dahlia Siebenhaar. As reported by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Dahlia passed away in December 2024, following a period on life support due to numerous severe injuries.

More than a year after this heartbreaking event, her father was formally accused of inflicting those injuries.

Dahlia was initially brought to the hospital on December 2, 2024, after being discovered unresponsive. The extent of her injuries required life support, but she never regained consciousness. After ten days, on December 12, 2024, she was removed from life support and subsequently died.

Medical examinations and an autopsy indicated that Dahlia endured “extensive head trauma, broken ribs, bodily bruising, and retinal hemorrhages, which were attributed to violent shaking and handling with excessive force,” according to police reports.

Through interviews with individuals familiar with Dahlia’s home environment, investigators concluded that Patrick had a history of shaking and spanking the newborn. Authorities have charged Patrick as the individual responsible for the injuries that led to her death.

Patrick was arrested while in Jacksonville and remains in custody with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He is being held without bond and is expected to face a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child in Volusia County.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in the press release, “The arrest in this case won’t bring Dahlia back or give her the childhood she deserved, but today we’re speaking up for her, because her life mattered.”

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