A 25-year-old Florida man has been arrested and charged with murder after a 1-year-old girl in his care died from what authorities describe as severe physical abuse.
According to the Tallahassee Police Department, officers responded to a residence on Saxon Street around 9:15 a.m. Monday following reports of an unresponsive child. First responders performed lifesaving measures before transporting the toddler to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The child had been left in the care of Deric Young, the boyfriend of the girl’s babysitter, police said.
What initially appeared to be a tragic medical incident quickly turned into a criminal investigation after detectives discovered signs of foul play. An autopsy revealed the child suffered “forceful impacts” to both sides of her head and face, causing her brain to hemorrhage and swell, ultimately leading to her death. She also suffered a fracture to her left femur — an injury doctors said would have caused “extreme pain” and severely impacted her ability to move.
In a post-Miranda interview, Young initially denied harming the child. However, after being confronted with the severity of her injuries, he reportedly broke down, cried, and admitted to striking the toddler’s head and face. Police said Young even agreed to reenact the assault for investigators.
Young claimed he was under stress, sleep-deprived, and had been smoking marijuana prior to the incident. He also provided a disturbing explanation for the child’s fatal injuries, allegedly saying he was “playing” with the toddler but denied intending to cause her death.
When questioned about the fracture to the child’s leg, Young allegedly admitted to punching her thigh with his fist.
Young faces charges of murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse and cruelty towards a child by aggravated battery. He is currently being held without bond in the Leon County Jail and is expected to make his first court appearance on Thursday.
Authorities have not released the identity of the victim.
