A 62-year-old Florida woman, Kelly Perigo, has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to felony child neglect for failing to properly care for a critically ill infant who required round-the-clock medical attention.
The case began in September last year, when the baby’s mother contacted Florida authorities with alarming concerns about Perigo’s care. Surveillance footage revealed that Perigo, who was hired to care for the premature child, pretended to feed him but instead poured full bottles of formula down the kitchen sink after only a few minutes of attempted feeding.
Investigators discovered that Perigo had not properly fed the child since mid-August, causing the baby to suffer from severe weight loss, low energy, and liver failure.
The child, born at just 24 weeks, required specialized feeding — including the use of a gastrointestinal (GI) tube when oral feeding was not possible. However, evidence showed that Perigo failed to follow medical instructions and did not use the feeding tube as required.
During questioning, Perigo admitted to discarding the baby’s formula, claiming she believed the child was eating more during the day. She also told investigators that she had no pediatric experience and had been fired from a previous nursing job for unrelated reasons.
The Department of Children and Families and the Police Department’s Special Victims Unit took over the investigation after the parents provided video proof of the neglect.
In court, the baby’s mother described the child’s ongoing medical struggles, which included 12 surgeries and lasting health complications caused by the neglect.
The judge sentenced Perigo to 12 months in jail and revoked her nursing licenses, calling her actions “a serious betrayal of trust.”
The child’s parents expressed relief that justice was served but acknowledged the long-term damage done to their son’s health.
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