PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Pembroke Pines police provided an update on Wednesday after they arrested a man after accusing him of murdering his 2-year-old daughter the day prior.
Police said officers and fire rescue personnel responded to a “domestic incident” just before 9:45 a.m. in the 400 block of Southwest 177th Avenue and found the girl, whose name hasn’t been released, bleeding from the neck.
She later died at Memorial Regional Hospital.
Jeronimo Duran, 33, is facing one count each of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. Police said Wednesday that they had not yet identified a motive but said statements and evidence led them to charge Duran with first-degree murder.
Authorities identified Duran as the girl’s father during the news conference. Police said Duran shares custody with the girl’s mother and he had picked up the child in the morning.
They said Duran’s grandmother entered the home, saw him attacking his daughter and called 911. Police said detectives found a knife at the scene.
Officials said the Broward County Medical Examiner will determine her cause and manner of death.
Court records Local 10 News obtained show the Duran and the child’s mother seen together with the little girl on Facebook.
The pair had just been through a custody battle with a judge ordering shared parental responibility despite claims by the child’s mother that Duran suffered from mental illness, paranoia and anger issues and had even been Baker Acted at least five times.
They said further charges could come.
Watch news conference: