A Florida father has been charged with murder after his six-month-old son died following an incident involving a leaf blower. James Westervelt, 38, was arrested in connection with the death of his infant son in Belleview, Florida.
Incident and Aftermath
Police responded to Westervelt's home in the summer of 2024 after receiving reports of an unresponsive infant. The child was rushed to a hospital and placed on life support but tragically died days later. Doctors attributed the death to blunt force trauma caused by violent shaking and bouncing.
Westervelt allegedly told investigators he used the powerful tool on the infant because he "thought it would be funny." Police also found video showing Westervelt using the leaf blower on the same child during a previous incident.
Investigation and Charges
The Marion County Sheriff's Office stated: "Eventually, once Westervelt was arrested in April this year for child abuse of the same victim, [authorities] were able to interview him again while in jail. It had been a couple of years since he provided his initial statement. He provided enough contradicting evidence. We worked with the state attorney's office to, basically, charge him with murder."
Arrest and public court records show Westervelt was initially charged with second-degree murder without premeditation. However, prosecutors dismissed the charges and refiled a first-degree murder charge with premeditation on July 30.
