Lyndsey T. Bustamante, 29, of Clarksville, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in federal prison for aggravated child neglect. The announcement was made by Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to authorities, the case involved the severe neglect of a two-month-old child who suffered significant injuries and required extensive medical care. “The victim in this case was a two-month-old child who was horribly neglected by the Defendant and barely survived,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The child is now in a loving home but will face lifelong struggles because of the Defendant’s choices. This case shows that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who hurt children and, if they are convicted, we will seek long sentences in federal prison for them.”
Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office commented on law enforcement’s efforts: “This sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us. Andrew Garasich and his wife, Lyndsey Bustamante, thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong. Let this serve as a warning: if you harm children in any way, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you and ensure you face the full consequences of your actions.”
Special Agent in Charge John McCabe of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Midcentral Field Office added: “This sentencing marks another significant step towards justice for the victim in this horrific case. Army CID remains dedicated to the safety and well-being of our communities.”
The incident began on December 30, 2022, when Bustamante’s husband Andrew Garasich burned their infant son during a bath with excessively hot water while Bustamante was away from home with her older son. Despite being notified about her child’s injuries that same day by Garasich, neither parent sought immediate medical attention.
Investigators learned that Garasich noticed severe burns on their baby after drying him off post-bath and saw skin peeling before leaving home with him to pick up chocolate-covered strawberries for Bustamante. After returning home, he removed some peeling skin from his son’s body. When Bustamante returned on December 31, she found parts of her baby’s body already peeling; Garasich had already pulled off some skin.
Between December 31 and January 4, Bustamante bathed her injured son again and tried treating his burns at home using soap, diaper rash cream, aloe vera gel, and baby ibuprofen instead of seeking professional care immediately. On January 1 she messaged friends about possibly taking her baby to hospital due to worsening symptoms but delayed doing so until January 4—one day before a scheduled doctor’s appointment at Fort Campbell’s Young Eagle Clinic.
On January 4 she took her baby—accompanied by her five-year-old son and a friend—to Houston County Community Hospital; Garasich did not accompany them. Medical staff there determined emergency air transport was necessary due to severity of injuries including partial- to full-thickness burns on multiple areas as well as a skull fracture identified later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he remained hospitalized nearly two months before discharge into state custody along with his sibling.
After serving her sentence Bustamante will be subject to four years supervised release.
Andrew J. Garasich received a sentence earlier—on July 14—for fourteen years imprisonment followed by four years supervised release.
The investigation was conducted jointly by Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division alongside FBI Nashville Field Office (Clarksville Resident Agency). Assistant U.S Attorney Monica Morrison prosecuted alongside Acting U.S Attorney Robert E McGuire.
