Father feeds bleach to baby

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A 2-month-old baby is recovering in a Gainesville hospital after her father gave her a cap full of bleach.

Police said her father, 20-year-old Carrone Washington, poisoned his daughter by mixing a cap full of bleach in her baby bottle. "First, he denied what was going on," said Ocala Police Lt. Billy Wood. "After several interviews the stories changed," he continued.

Washington gave his daughter Caelynn the toxic formula Sunday at their Ocala home. He said he just made a stupid but innocent decision, based on some bad advice.

The 20-year-old was arrested on child abuse charges and went before a judge. He is currently at the Marion County Jail.

The first-time father said he thought he was helping his sick daughter, who has suffered from breathing problems since birth. "I was told by another friend of mine that giving the baby a top of bleach-- just the top of it-- would help her breath a little better," Washington said.

Instead, Caelynn threw up. Her panicked parents called 911.

Washington and his family insist it was not intentional. "It wasn't a smart thing to do, but Carrone doesn't know," said Chianti Washington, the father's sister.

"It was a dumb decision on me," added Carrone, "I heard someone else did it, so I wanted to try to help her."

The Department of Children and Families is now investigating, and Carrone has been ordered to stay away from the infant when she comes home from the hospital.

If convicted, Washington faces jail time and a $10,000 fine.

(Copyright 2013 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)