Kelly Ward pleaded no contest to child neglect causing great bodily harm after leaving her 3-month-old daughter outside in cold weather overnight in 2023. A judge withheld adjudication and sentenced her to 48 months of probation with conditions including a substance abuse evaluation and parenting classes. The infant suffered life-altering injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
In DeLand, Florida, on the night of November 7, 2023, temperatures dipped into the mid-50s. Kelly Ward, then pregnant, arrived home around 10 p.m. with her on-again, off-again boyfriend and her 3-month-old daughter. Residents of the home, where nine people lived including Ward's mother, disputed whether the boyfriend could stay overnight due to concerns about him. The couple took the baby outside multiple times before 2 a.m., which residents found confusing given the chilly conditions for an infant outside in Florida standards, according to a police affidavit obtained by Law & Crime. The Volusia County Clerk of Circuit Court confirmed Ward's plea and sentencing on April 1, 2026. Ward received probation instead of jail time, with requirements for evaluation and classes approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families. It's unclear if prosecutors reached a plea agreement. The baby appeared frantic before sleep around 2-3 a.m., crying and swinging arms. By morning, reports varied: some noted the child lethargic, pale, and unresponsive around 8 a.m., while others said she seemed normal. Ward's mother later found bruises on the abdomen, wheezing, and scratches, attributing them to a small chihuahua dog, though EMS workers doubted this. Both Ward and her boyfriend admitted being last with the infant; investigators noted inconsistencies in her account and his prior anger management for breaking another infant's arm in Polk County. A medical report deemed the injuries nonaccidental and consistent with shaken impact syndrome. No charges were filed against the boyfriend in Volusia County. The child's current condition remains unclear.