A Gwinnett County man charged with killing his 9-week-old daughter Googled the symptoms of broken ribs as his child died, prosecutors said.
Khaliq Woods, 23, told officers he was playing with the baby Nov. 30 “by throwing her up in the air and catching her,” according to a Duluth police report.
But investigators said the infant suffered head trauma, broken ribs, a lacerated liver and internal bleeding, Channel 2 Action News reported.
RELATED: Gwinnett man charged with murder after his 9-week-old daughter dies
At Woods’ probable cause hearing Thursday, prosecutors said he looked up the girl’s symptoms on the internet and waited hours before taking her to the emergency room.
According to the incident report, Woods put the baby in his bed about 10 p.m., and when he checked on her four hours later, “it seemed like the baby had difficulty breathing.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
He later told police he tried to feed the girl, but she wouldn’t take a bottle or pacifier. Woods also said she “wasn’t moving normal like kids do ... and he assumed the baby was just tired,” according to investigators.
A police detective testified that Woods started looking up the child’s symptoms shortly after 2 a.m. When they arrived at Northside Duluth Hospital three hours later, the baby was dead.
Doctors told investigators the baby had bruising on her torso and arms that seemed to be recent, and a detective told police the baby was cold to the touch when she arrived at the emergency room, AJC.com previously reported.
“There could have been medical treatment for hours before the child actually arrived at the hospital,” prosecutor Stephen Fern said at the hearing.
Woods’ defense attorney maintains his client never intended to hurt his daughter, saying “poor judgment in playing is not in and of itself a crime.”
A magistrate judge ruled there was enough probable cause to move forward with the charges against Woods, who faces one count each of felony murder, aggravated assault, battery and first-degree cruelty to children.
He remains held at the Gwinnett County jail without bond.
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