A Beverly Hills woman is facing child neglect charges after a baby was taken to a hospital with a skull fracture last month.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, the investigation started after a 3-month-old child was taken to Citrus Memorial Hospital on Nov. 4 for treatment of a head injury.
The baby was lethargic, so hospital staff performed X-rays on the child and found the baby had suffered a fractured skull. The baby was then taken to All Children's Hospital for further treatment.
Deputies contacted Amber Marie Hubbard, 34, who told them she had been out with friends the night before, and that during the night, she realized something appeared to be wrong with the baby. She said the baby's eyes would not open, and the baby was acting tired and lethargic.
Deputies said Hubbard offered no explanation for the child's condition beyond the possibility that her roommate must have dropped her.
Hubbard waited until the following day, almost 14 hours later, to seek treatment for the baby's injuries. Deputies said that when they asked why she waited so long, she said she had given a positive urine sample at her methadone appointment and that she was afraid the baby would be taken from her by the Department of Children and Families.
Detectives investigated the case over the next several weeks, speaking with witnesses who said they saw Hubbard with the child on the night in question. The witnesses said they all noticed something was wrong with the baby and repeatedly told Hubbard to call 911 or said they would take her and the baby to get medical treatment, detectives said.
Investigators said they determined that Hubbard knew, based on witness interviews, that the baby was possibly sick or injured.
When detectives followed up with Hubbard, they said she admitted that she had gone to a friend's house that night to do drugs, but she insisted she did not injure the child.
Hubbard was arrested on charges of child neglect. She was taken to the Citrus County Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond.