Arrest made in death of local child

Kevin Kelshaw reported to Historic City News that detectives with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Robbery Homicide Unit have arrested a 30-year old St. Johns County man today on a charges of negligent manslaughter and neglect of a child.

Omar Donte Long, 30, 312 Harvard Rd., was arrested late this afternoon and booked into the County Jail following a two week investigation in connection with the death of his nearly two year old child on June 14th.

The investigation began shortly after 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 14th when deputies along with Fire Rescue personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive child at the Long residence on Harvard Road.

The victim, Arianna Long, was transported to Flagler Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The investigation revealed that the victim was originally located inside a 2006 Dodge Charger that was registered to Long, the victim’s father, at 12:00 p.m.

Detectives learned that the suspect had taken the child’s mother to work at Flagler Hospital at 6:00 a.m. with the victim in a booster seat in the rear of the vehicle.

The suspect returned to the residence, however, he stated that he didn’t know the child was in the car.

Another family member woke up around 12:00 p.m.. She did not hear the toddler and became concerned.

The suspect was sleeping on the couch and the family member began to search for the toddler throughout the house. She then went outside and ran to the father’s vehicle which was parked in the driveway.

The doors were locked but she spotted the child in the back seat. She says that the child appeared unresponsive.

The father was awakened. He obtained a spare key and unlocked the doors and found the toddler.

Dr. Frederick Hobin of the District Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy. Preliminary results revealed that the cause of death was exposure due to heat or hyperthermia, however, a final report is pending toxicology reports.

Through interviews of many witnesses and family members as well as the execution of search warrants and consultation with the State Attorney’s Office, detectives gathered probable cause and obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect this morning.

Long turned himself in this afternoon and remains in jail in lieu of bonds totaling $500,000.