Dominique Martez Reed of San Antonio, Texas was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the death of her 3-month-old daughter.
According to local reports, Reed, 25, was charged with capital murder in connection to the death of his 3-month-old daughter Zaniyah Reed. On October 15, 2010, emergency personnel found the child not breathing and riddled with bruises in their apartment near Farm to Market Road 78 (FM 78) between San Antonio and Sequin, Texas.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital by emergency responders. However, due to the gravity of her injuries, doctors were not able to revive the 3-month-old baby. Zaniyah died shortly after the incident.
Zaniyah’s mother told local authorities that the incident happened during a four-hour visitation period Reed had with his daughter. Fox News reports that the child was found by her mother visibly beaten. Her eyes were rolling back in her head, and blood was dripping from her diaper.
Reed initially reported that the child fell off a car seat, but soon changed the story and told the investigators that she had accidentally fallen on him when he was trying to catch her from falling to the ground.
He later confessed to police officers that he punched his daughter to death because she would not stop crying, according to a report by CBS .
Zaniyah Reed’s autopsy, according to the local KSAT12, revealed that she died from multiple blunt-force injuries, 14 rib fractures, lacerated liver and a torn pancreas. Several injuries to the vaginal area were also discovered by the coroner.
Earlier this year, in an unrelated incident, another San Antonio, Texas man has been arrested and is currently facing capital murder charges after allegedly drowning his pregnant girlfriend and setting her body on fire. According to a report by the Inquisitr , 19-year-old Courtney Velasquez openly admitted to drowning his girlfriend, 18-year-old Dawanna Thomas, after he found out about her pregnancy.
[Image from KSAT]