WARNING: This article contains depictions of child neglect/abuse.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Clarksville woman has been sentenced to serve nearly a dozen years in federal prison after she was indicted on aggravated child neglect charges, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire announced that 29-year-old Lyndsey Bustamante was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in federal prison following an incident that left her baby injured more than two years ago.
In 2023, Bustamante and her husband, Andrew Garasich, were indicted by a federal grand jury after their two-month-old sustained burns.
Officials said the incident occurred on Dec. 30, 2022, which is when Garasich gave the baby a bath in water that was too hot. Even though Bustamante was away from home with her five-year-old son when the incident took place, her husband allegedly told her about burning their baby, but neither parent sought medical attention until Jan. 4, 2024.
When the couple was interviewed by the FBI in May 2023, Garasich allegedly told agents that he noticed the baby's butt was "beet reed" as he was drying him off. However, he later left the home with the baby to go to Edible Arrangements to pick up chocolate-covered strawberries for Bustamante. Then, after returning home, he began to remove skin from the baby's body, according to the attorney's office.
After the baby was burned in the bath, Bustamante allegedly bathed the two-month-old again between Dec. 31 to Jan. 4, and attempted to treat the burns with soap, diaper rash cream, aloe and ibuprofen. Then, on Jan. 1, 2023, officials said she sent a friend a message on Facebook to ask if she should take the baby to the hospital because the skin was "peeling really bad."
Finally, on Jan. 4, 2023, Bustamante took the baby to the Houston County Community Hospital, where medical personnel reportedly determined that the two-month-old needed to be flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center due to the severity of his injuries.
In addition, the DOJ reported that when the baby was assessed at Vanderbilt, staff noted "partial to full thickness burns on the baby's buttocks, perineum, lower extremities, and left elbow." The two-month-old had also sustained a left parietal skull fracture, per medical personnel.
The baby reportedly remained hospitalized for two months before being discharged. Now, both children are in the custody of the Department of Children's Services.
“The victim in this case was a two-month-old child who was horribly neglected by the Defendant and barely survived,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The child is now in a loving home but will face lifelong struggles because of the Defendant’s choices. This case shows that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who hurt children and, if they are convicted, we will seek long sentences in federal prison for them.”
“This sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Andrew Garasich and his wife, Lyndsey Bustamante, thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong. Let this serve as a warning: if you harm children in any way, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you and ensure you face the full consequences of your actions.”
Following her prison term, Bustamante will be on supervised release for four years. Last month, her husband, Garasich, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation, the FBI Nashville Field Office and Clarksville Resident Agency all assisted in an investigation into the case.
from WKRN News 2 https://ift.tt/49EA8kq
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