A Florida father who deputies said admitted to previously using a leaf blower on his infant son has been indicted on a murder charge in the child’s death, records showed.
Marion County prosecutors filed the murder charge on Thursday against 38-year-old James Westervelt, court records showed.
He had initially been charged in June with child abuse, according to the court records.
Westervelt’s 6-month-old son died in August 2024, and the death was later ruled a homicide after it was determined he died from shaken baby syndrome, WESH reported.
He was charged with child abuse after deputies said video surfaced that showed Westervelt filming himself using a leaf blower in the infant’s face before his death.
Westervelt remains behind bars while he awaits trial, jail records show.
