Jacob Kubai: Father charged with manslaughter after beating 4-month-old daughter to death

Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised

BARTOW, FLORIDA: A Florida man is facing accusations of brutally assaulting his 4-month-old daughter, resulting in severe injuries including 10 broken ribs, a skull fracture, and hemorrhaging to her spine.

The incident came to light when authorities were informed about the injured infant, nicknamed 'Strawberry', who was hospitalized due to cardiac arrest on February 22, 2024.

Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries two days later. Her father, Jacob Kubai, 22, was later arrested and is facing felony charges including one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child, one count of aggravated child abuse and two counts of knowingly abusing a child without bodily harm.

Additional details concerning the circumstances leading to the daughter's hospitalization and the findings of the autopsy were revealed during the investigation.

What did Bartow police report?

Bartow police responded to a call at Bartow Regional Medical Center around 8.30 pm on February 22 regarding a child in cardiac arrest, according to Law & Crime.

The medical team airlifted the girl to a hospital in Tampa, where she passed away two days later. 

Detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office later discovered that Strawberry's father, Jacob Kubai, had rushed her to the hospital upon finding her unresponsive. 

According to Sheriff Grady Judd, Kubai reported that he and the child had dropped off his wife, Strawberry’s mom, at work around 5 pm. 

Kubai claimed he spent some time playing video games before heading to Walmart at approximately 6:40 pm to purchase items for dinner.

Upon returning, he stated he fed the baby, whose real name is Willow, at 7:50 pm. 

Kubai alleged that he checked on her every 10 minutes until 8:10 pm when he discovered Willow suddenly unresponsive. He claimed to have administered CPR before taking her to the hospital.

Detectives reviewed security footage

Upon reviewing the security footage from Walmart, detectives observed that Jacob Kubai had visited the store without the baby. 

Judd stated that they now suspect he assaulted Strawberry before departing for the grocery store.

On February 27, an autopsy revealed the extent of Strawberry's injuries: a skull fracture, numerous bruises on her forehead, 10 fractured ribs, hemorrhaging to her spine, and multiple layers of brain bleed, as per Judd. 

Investigators believe that the broken ribs occurred when Kubai squeezed her. 

Additionally, Kubai is accused of striking Strawberry in the forehead ten times and using a blunt object to hit her in the back of the head. Judd remarked, "The baby was literally beaten to death." 

Although Kubai initially cooperated with law enforcement, his demeanor shifted. 

Judd explained, "He started saying ‘none of this is real',” Judd said. “‘My wife’s not real. My baby’s not real. This is a fantasy. This just didn’t happen'. He started immediately playing games with us. He showed zero remorse. He shed not one tear and yet he has literally beaten and squeezed his baby to death at 4 months old.”

Kubai remains in custody at the Polk County Jail without bond.