A 1-year-old’s family said they think she may have been murdered after she was left at home with two men, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Polk County police say Ella Gracye Pointer was found unresponsive in an apartment in Cedartown about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The toddler was given CPR and taken to Polk County Medical Center, then flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, where she died.
Police are waiting for autopsy results and hospital records until they reveal an official cause of death.
But according to Channel 2, family members say the toddler had a fractured skull, internal bleeding and signs of sexual abuse.
The family said Ella’s mother left her with her boyfriend, Dustin D. Putnal, and a roommate while she went to work. The men were questioned in connection with the case.
Putnal, 27, was arrested, but for a violation of his current probation conditions, police said. He was previously arrested on drug and theft charges.
Ella’s death sparked #JusticeforEllaGrayce on Facebook, with users sending prayers to the family and wondering what happened to the toddler.
Polk County police released a statement saying they have four investigators working on the case and that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting.
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