Miami Beach police officer identified as father of child found dead in dumpster

MIAMI – A Miami Beach police officer has been identified by authorities as the father of a 4-year-old girl who was found dead in dumpster Sunday in southwest Miami-Dade County.

A Miami Beach police representative asked in a statement that the privacy of Officer Leon Paige, 27, be "respected during this very difficult time."

"We send our deepest condolences and prayers to Officer Leon Paige and his family on the loss of his daughter," the statement read.

Paige has been employed by the Miami Beach Police Department for a little over a year and previously worked for the Florida Highway Patrol. 

Records show that Paige and his daughter's mother, Tina Farrington, 31, were embroiled in a legal dispute after Farrington accused the officer of abusing their 2-year-old son in June, the Miami Herald first reported.

Farrington filed a restraining order against Paige after the alleged incident, claiming that he beat their son with a belt and sent him to day care with knots on his head.

She also claimed that Tania Paige had scratches on her face that were from her father.

The Florida Department of Children and Families opened an investigation, but found no signs of abuse. Paige was not arrested.

Records show that Paige had a no contact order issued against him on Aug. 9, which was set to expire on Dec. 31. A judge granted Paige supervised visits with his children three times a week. 

Despite the abuse allegations against Paige, police said it was Farrington who killed their daughter on Halloween after the girl talked back to her.

Miami-Dade police said a man was taking out the trash at the Tuscany Place Apartments about 12:45 p.m. Sunday when he found the body of Tania Paige wrapped in a blanket and called 911.

Local 10 News was at the apartment complex as police arrested Farrington, walking her out of her apartment in handcuffs. 

Neighbors said she could be heard yelling at officers to get out of her apartment.

According to an arrest report, Farrington was at home with her two children on Halloween when she became upset because Tania talked back to her. 

Police said Farrington lured the victim and her brother into her bedroom and then suffocated Tania with a pillow. 

Authorities said Farrington hid her daughter's body in the trunk of her 2013 Nissan Altima for several days.

According to the arrest report, Farrington noticed that a foul odor was coming from her trunk on Sunday, so she removed the body and placed it into a dumpster.

Police said the victim's body was in the early stages of decomposition when it was found, and bruises could be seen on the victim's arms, legs and torso. 

Detectives said Farrington confessed to killing her daughter.

A shelter hearing was held Tuesday regarding Tania's brother, who a judge ordered will live with his maternal grandmother for the time being and continue supervised visits with his father three times a week. 

The boy cried in court at times for his mother, who remains behind bars.

Questions involving the injunctions against Paige that were made by Farrington will be heard and ruled on in December. 

A GoFundMe page has been created by Paige to help with funeral costs for his daughter.