Deputies say more charges could follow after the medical examiner’s findings are finalized.
OCALA, Fla. — A 32-year-old man has been charged with aggravated child abuse in the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter after investigators said the girl was bound and beaten inside a home in the rural community of Citra, north of Ocala.
The arrest has intensified scrutiny of what happened in the hours before the girl was found unresponsive and why help was not called sooner. Deputies say the child, Paisley Brown, suffered injuries during abuse and later died at a hospital. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says additional charges are expected as detectives await the medical examiner’s report and review the case with prosecutors.
Deputies were called to a home on Northeast 44th Avenue around noon Thursday and found Paisley unresponsive, the sheriff’s office said. Paramedics took her to a hospital, where she died. Investigators arrested Jeroen Jarrel Coombs and booked him on an aggravated child abuse charge. Deputies say Coombs is the boyfriend of Paisley’s mother and was at the home that morning with several children. A child witness told investigators he heard Coombs strike Paisley, according to information released by authorities.
Investigators say Coombs later admitted he restrained the child before she was hurt. Deputies said he told detectives he tied Paisley’s hands with a robe tie or rope and bound her legs with tape, including painter’s tape, to keep her from reaching into her diaper. Deputies said Coombs told investigators he dropped her on the floor while she was still bound and hit her multiple times. Coombs also told investigators he “took it too far,” deputies said. Authorities have not released details about the full extent of Paisley’s injuries, but investigators said they confronted Coombs about bruising and marks consistent with binding before he admitted causing her death.
A key focus of the investigation is the gap between when Paisley became unresponsive and when a 911 call was made. Investigators say Coombs told them he was scared to call for help, and deputies say the call was delayed by about 40 minutes. A timeline described by authorities says the child’s mother left the home about 9:15 a.m. to run errands and attend a nail appointment while the children were asleep. Authorities say she later checked in and, during a video call around 10:58 a.m., saw Paisley looking pale and limp. The first 911 call was placed at 11:38 a.m., after the mother arrived back at the home, deputies said. The sheriff’s office is investigating what information was shared during that period and who made decisions that delayed the emergency call.
The sheriff’s office says detectives are also looking at whether there were warning signs before Thursday and whether any other children in the home were harmed. The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of four other children who lived in the home, authorities said. Investigators are working to determine what Paisley’s mother may have known about the alleged abuse and the delayed 911 call, deputies said. Her involvement has not been charged publicly, and the sheriff’s office has not announced an arrest involving her as of Tuesday.
Relatives and community members have described a painful scene in and around the home as Paisley’s condition worsened. Paisley’s great-aunt, Tabitha Harless, said she arrived before emergency crews and tried to perform CPR. Harless said she heard a confession-like statement in the moments after she reached the home and told medics the child had been hurt. Harless also used stark language to describe what she said children experienced in the household, claiming restraints such as tape, rope, and handcuffs were used at night. Authorities say they are investigating whether other children were previously abused and are asking witnesses to share what they know.
On Saturday, dozens of people gathered in protest and demanded accountability in Paisley’s death. Paisley’s father, Robert Brown, spoke to the crowd and described his daughter as joyful and affectionate. “Paisley, she’s amazing,” he said, calling her “always happy and goofy.” Protest organizer Carley Santana criticized the pace of the investigation and urged a broader review of who may share responsibility for what happened in the home. The sheriff’s office has said detectives are continuing interviews and reviewing evidence as they work with prosecutors on the next steps.
Coombs remains jailed on the aggravated child abuse charge, and deputies say additional charges are forthcoming after the medical examiner’s report is complete and prosecutors review the findings. Lt. Paul Bloom, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said investigators are focused on seeking justice for the child. Authorities have not announced a court date for the next major hearing, but investigators say they expect to present more information once the cause and manner of death are formally documented.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 24, 2026.