Former Army sergeant receives 12-year sentence for scalding his 2-month-old son.
A former U.S. Army sergeant has received a 12-year prison sentence, along with four years of supervised release, following a tragic case of severe child neglect that resulted in life-threatening injuries to his infant son. Andrew J. Garasich, a 29-year-old resident of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, was convicted after it was revealed that he scalded his two-month-old child in water hot enough to peel the baby’s skin. This harrowing case was detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, which reported that Garasich failed to seek medical attention for several days after the incident.
The disturbing events unfolded in late 2022 while Garasich was stationed at Fort Campbell, a major U.S. Army installation located on the border of northwestern Tennessee and western Kentucky. In May 2023, both Garasich and the infant’s mother, Lyndsey T. Bustamante, were taken into custody by FBI agents after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of aggravated child neglect.
Court documents indicate that Bustamante sought medical help for the child on January 4, 2023, when she took the infant to Houston County Community Hospital in Tennessee. During this visit, she attributed the child’s severe injuries to a hot bath administered by Garasich several days prior. The situation escalated when the baby was airlifted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where medical professionals discovered not only the burns but also a skull fracture. The child was placed in the pediatric intensive care unit, where he received treatment for organ failure and other critical injuries. Medical experts have indicated that the child will require ongoing care for years to come.
Significantly, the child did not receive medical treatment for a full five days following the scalding incident. Garasich did not accompany the infant to the hospital, raising serious concerns about the level of neglect involved. While reports indicate the child is now in a nurturing environment, experts warn that he will face “lifelong struggles” as a result of his father’s actions, as noted by Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire.
Despite having no prior criminal history, Garasich had been investigated by child welfare authorities in 2019 over a separate case involving another child, although specific details of that incident remain undisclosed. Bustamante is scheduled for sentencing on August 5, 2023. The case highlights the profound consequences of child neglect and abuse, emphasizing the need for vigilant oversight and intervention in vulnerable situations. Media News Source.
