Court testimony described restraints, alleged chest strikes, and children removed from a Citra home.
OCALA, Fla. — A judge kept a Marion County man in jail without bond after prosecutors said he beat a 3-year-old girl to death while she was bound, and investigators later arrested the child’s mother on felony neglect charges, deepening a case that has drawn scrutiny of how abuse inside the home went unchecked.
The investigation centers on the death of Paisley Brown, who was found unresponsive in February at a residence in Citra, a small community northeast of Ocala. Authorities say the man, Jeroen Jarrel Coombs, was caring for multiple children when Brown suffered fatal injuries. Weeks later, detectives said the child’s mother, Jennifer Farrah Kendrick, failed to protect her daughter despite knowledge of earlier abuse, leading to Kendrick’s arrest and a continuing review of what happened in the home before the child died.
Deputies responded to the home in the 16500 block of Northeast 44th Avenue around noon on Feb. 19 after a report that a child had been harmed, sheriff’s officials have said. Brown was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators said Coombs was detained at the scene after deputies were told he had harmed the girl and was trying to leave. He was arrested the next day, Feb. 20, initially on an aggravated child abuse charge as detectives collected evidence and interviewed witnesses.
As the case progressed, prosecutors presented court testimony outlining what they say happened inside the home. Detective Karla Santana-Palau, a major crimes investigator, recounted an interview in which Coombs described tying Brown’s wrists with a rope and binding her legs with blue painter’s tape, details the detective said aligned with marks observed on the child’s body. Santana-Palau said Coombs told investigators he picked the child up, dropped her when she moved, and then struck her in the chest. The detective said Coombs described digging his knuckles into the child’s chest and striking her several times until she became unresponsive.
Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon urged the court to keep Coombs jailed as his case moved toward homicide charges, describing the allegations as severe and pointing to information gathered from children who were inside the home. Santana-Palau told the court she interviewed Brown’s 9-year-old brother, who she said was handcuffed in another room. The detective said the boy reported he could hear his sister crying and that Coombs punched her in the chest many times. Judge Peter Brigham, after hearing the testimony, ordered Coombs held without bond. He said the allegations described a 3-year-old whose hands and legs were bound before she was beaten to death.
Investigators have said Coombs had been dating Brown’s mother for several months and was often the primary caretaker for the children while Kendrick worked. The sheriff’s office has also pointed to past criminal convictions for Coombs, including battery and domestic-violence battery cases from earlier years, while noting those cases are separate from Brown’s death. Authorities have not said whether Coombs has entered a plea in the homicide case or whether he has an attorney who can respond to the allegations in court filings.
In the days after Brown’s death, sheriff’s officials said the mother’s role was under review, and that detectives were investigating whether she contributed to, or knew about, abuse in the home. On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office announced Kendrick had been charged with two counts of felony child neglect. Officials said investigators concluded Kendrick knew about some earlier abuse and did not intervene, an omission they said helped allow the violence to continue until the child was fatally injured.
Investigators said Kendrick initially denied knowing about abuse but later acknowledged awareness after detectives confronted her with evidence. Authorities said she admitted Coombs had previously bound and abused Brown and that she recognized her failure to step in contributed to her daughter’s death. Officials also said Kendrick was on felony probation when she was arrested, and that her probation status was violated as a result of the new charges. Kendrick was booked into the Marion County Jail, where Coombs was already being held.
The allegations have shaken relatives and neighbors, with family members describing a fast-moving relationship and a home where children’s complaints were not fully understood until after Brown died. Tabitha Harless, a relative who has spoken publicly about the case, said she believed children in the home had been failed by the adults around them. She said she worked with investigators and felt relief when Kendrick was arrested. Harless has also described the Citra home in stark terms, calling it a “house of horror” as she asked for accountability for what investigators say children experienced there.
Beyond the criminal cases, authorities have said child-welfare and protective actions were taken after Brown’s death. Investigators said four other children who lived in the home were removed and placed in protective custody. Officials have not released the children’s names or ages beyond what has been discussed in interviews and court testimony, and they have not said how long the children lived in the home or whether prior complaints about the household were made to any agency.
Several key details remain unclear as the legal process moves forward. Authorities have not publicly provided a full timeline of when investigators believe Kendrick learned about restraints or physical punishments, or how often the alleged binding occurred before Brown’s death. Officials have also not released the complete findings of the medical examination, including whether Brown had older injuries, though investigators have said the manner of death was treated as homicide and that evidence at the scene supported their charges.
The case now includes parallel tracks: prosecution of Coombs on a homicide count and prosecution of Kendrick on felony neglect allegations tied to the same death. Court dates have not been widely publicized beyond hearings already held, and investigators have said their work continues as they review interviews, physical evidence, and records linked to the household. Authorities have not ruled out additional charges or further investigative findings as the case develops.
By Thursday, both Coombs and Kendrick were being held without bond at the Marion County Jail, according to officials, and detectives said the investigation remains active. The next milestone is expected to be future court hearings as prosecutors outline evidence and defense attorneys respond in filings and arguments.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.