Escambia County investigators say a 3-year-old child had severe injuries in different stages of healing.
CANTONMENT, Fla. — Escambia County authorities say a man charged in the death of his 3-year-old nephew could face a more serious case as investigators review medical evidence tied to the child’s fatal injuries.
Samuel Antonio Maldonado Erazo, 28, was booked into the Escambia County Jail around 11:30 p.m. Thursday on a negligent manslaughter charge, officials said. Sheriff Chip Simmons announced the arrest Friday, two days after deputies responded to a 911 call involving a child in cardiac arrest and opened what he said became an immediate criminal investigation after the boy died at a hospital.
At the center of the case is a long list of injuries that Simmons described in stark terms. He said the child had bruising throughout his body, burns consistent with a lighter being heated and pressed against the skin, several broken ribs including one detached from the backbone, a broken collarbone, a pancreas injury tied to severe blunt trauma and signs of possible sexual abuse. The sheriff also said the child had 17 strikes to the head. He said the pattern of injuries showed multiple stages of healing, a detail that can point investigators toward repeated abuse over time rather than a single episode.
Simmons said deputies believe Maldonado Erazo was the child’s caregiver. On Wednesday, the sheriff said, the boy showed signs of severe distress during the day. Even so, Simmons said, Maldonado Erazo took him to work instead of seeking care. The child later went into cardiac arrest. “These injuries and the neglect associated with them contributed to his death,” Simmons said. He also called the case “horrendous and despicable” and said the suffering described in the investigation was difficult even for experienced investigators to discuss publicly.
The background to the case has also drawn attention. Simmons said the child had been left in Maldonado Erazo’s care after the boy’s mother and aunt were recently deported. Deputies also said Maldonado Erazo is in the country illegally. The sheriff’s office has not said how long the child had been living with him. Local reporting identified the location tied to the investigation as Brentco Road in Cantonment, where a homeowner said Maldonado Erazo had been living in a shed behind a house with multiple children.
The next steps now turn on medical and prosecutorial review. Simmons said his office is coordinating with the State Attorney’s Office and the Medical Examiner’s Office to decide whether the manslaughter count should be raised. Authorities have not released the child’s name publicly, and they have not yet announced any added charges tied to the reported injuries. Maldonado Erazo remains jailed without bond while the investigation continues.
For now, the public record shows a case still moving from emergency response to full prosecution. The child died Wednesday, the arrest followed late Thursday, and the sheriff’s office said Friday that more legal action may still come once the evidence review is complete.
Author note: Last updated March 9, 2026.