An Alabama man suspected of beating his stepdaughter to death after she asked for juice before bedtime was himself beaten in county jail, police said.
Sebastian Diego Sebastian, 27, of Albertville, is charged with capital murder in the death of Jeannely Maria Gaspar Mateo. WAFF in Huntsville reported that Sebastian, who was initially booked into the Marshall County Jail, had to be transferred to the Blount County Jail for his own safety.
Sebastian showed up for his initial court appearance in Marshall County on Wednesday sporting black eyes that were nearly swollen shut. The news station reported that an investigation into his assault was underway.
WHNT News 19 reported that Mateo died Jan. 1 of injuries that investigators believe occurred Dec. 28 at her home. Sebastian was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse two days later, after the girl was taken to Marshall Medical Center South for treatment of head trauma.
At that time, Sebastian told police he attempted to throw the girl onto a bed and missed, WHNT reported.
Mateo was transferred from Marshall Medical to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, where she remained until her death.
"You want to hope for the best, but from the beginning we knew it wasn't a pretty picture for the child," Assistant Albertville police Chief Jamie Smith told WHNT.
Sebastian has been described as Mateo’s stepfather, but authorities said they are not sure if he and the girl’s mother are legally married.
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