HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Two 24-year-old parents brought their 6-month-old to Homestead Hospital in cardiac arrest Sunday afternoon; doctors found that the baby had no pulse and signs of severe child abuse, according to police.
Doctors pronounced Nalani Adalee Allen dead less than an hour later.
After an investigation, Miami-Dade police arrested her parents, Nathan Richard Allen and Arnelle Arnelia Floyd, of Homestead, on first-degree murder charges Wednesday.
The baby girl had “several fractured ribs in different stages of healing and multiple bruises” throughout her torso, police said.
An autopsy Tuesday “revealed numerous fresh contusions, internal bleeding, large lacerations to internal organs and blunt force injuries” throughout her torso, the report states.
An associate medical examiner declared Nalani’s cause of death a homicide.
During an initial interview with Miami-Dade detectives Sunday, Allen and Floyd told police that Nalani had been in good health and had no history of injuries, the report states. Floyd, police said, denied knowing any reason why she died.
According to the report, Floyd said she fed Nalani at around 10 p.m. the night before putting her to bed with her and Allen. She said she left for a beauty appointment at 8 a.m., then received a call from Allen at around 10:45 a.m. regarding the baby’s health.
“Floyd stated she then returned home and observed Allen exiting their residence holding the unresponsive victim,” the report states. “Floyd stated they then responded to the emergency room.”
According to police, Allen told investigators that he fed the baby at around 10 a.m., left to clean dishes and returned about an hour later to find the baby “lethargic.”
The report states that Allen told detectives that Nalani was in good health but “would often cry for long periods of time.”
Police said they executed a search warrant at their home in the 600 block of Northeast 21st Avenue, “which revealed the house in disarray, as well as multiple holes in the walls the size of a fist, as well as dents in the refrigerator door which appear to be shaped in the size of a first.”
The report states that the home had numerous reports of domestic violence, which were corroborated by accounts from neighbors.
“They described the disputes as violent with items and/or persons being thrown into walls around the residence,” police wrote.
Police said the baby had last seen her pediatrician Friday, who told investigators she “did not show any signs of bruising or broken bones despite being underweight.”
Homicide detectives arrested Allen and Floyd Wednesday; they invoked their right to remain silent.
Both were being held without bond in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday afternoon.