Port Charlotte pair charged with child neglect

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Port Charlotte couple has been arrested after an infant in their care had to have emergency surgery to repair damage to its skull, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said.

On March 24, Charlotte County detectives were called to Golisano’s Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers about an infant with life-threatening injuries.

The infant was in “extremely critical condition” and was in emergency surgery when detectives arrived. The child’s injuries included multiple skull fractures, bleeding in the brain, a stroke, and more.

Shona M. Hochsprung, 22, and Alexander M. Ransom, 24, who brought the infant into the hospital, were interviewed separately and detectives say their explanations about how the infant was injured were inconsistent.

Detectives determined that both Hochsprung and Ransom agreed that they were the only two people with the child at the time of the injury and that it occurred at their home in Port Charlotte March 23.

Deputies also found that Ransom had conducted internet searches for “dent in baby forehead” and “do babies snore?” at around 5 p.m. on Sunday.

This indicated that Ransom was aware of the injuries and still did not seek medical attention for the child until the following day.

Hochsprung and Ransom were placed under arrest on charges of child neglect with great bodily harm. They are being held without bond, the sheriff’s office said.

The child underwent successful surgery but the infant is facing a lengthy recovery and is expected to have significant medical issues for the duration of its life, the sheriff’s office said.