NASHVILLE - A federal indictment unsealed today, charges a Fort Campbell couple with aggravated child neglect, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
Andrew J. Garasich, 27, and Lyndsey T. Bustamante, 27, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and were arrested by FBI agents earlier today. Both are scheduled to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge this afternoon.
Documents filed with the Court allege that on January 4, 2023, Bustamante took her baby to a Houston County Community Hospital and claimed that several days earlier, the baby was burned while being given a bath by Garasich. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the baby was life flighted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital where it was discovered that the baby also had a skull fracture. While in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt, the baby underwent numerous medical procedures and surgeries and was treated for organ failures and other life-threatening conditions. It is anticipated that the baby will require additional medical treatment and services for years to come.
Charges in this case are being brought under the Assimilative Crimes Act. As there is no federal child abuse statute, charges may be brought under applicable Tennessee statutes for crimes occurring on the Fort Campbell military installation because Fort Campbell is within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
If convicted of this Class A felony, both defendants face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Army - Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Morrison and Robert E. McGuire are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. # #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys