ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Days before authorities say a 6-year-old Florida boy fatally beat his newborn sister, a caller raised concerns about the family using the state’s child abuse hotline.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s records show the caller told child protection investigators on Aug. 2 that the boy was abusive to his younger brother and animals and that he had likely started a fire that displaced his family in July.
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The Tampa Bay Times reports an investigator determined there “no evidence” to substantiate the concerns.
On Aug. 8, authorities say the boy violently shook his 11-day-old sister in their minivan while their 62-year-old mother Kathleen Steele was inside a cellphone repair store.
Steele faces aggravated manslaughter charges and was released on bond. Attorney Robert Love said he wouldn’t contest the state’s order for Steele to have no contact with the children.
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