PITTSBURGH -- The trial of a Braddock man accused of leaving his 23-month-old daughter outside to die in freezing weather got under way Wednesday.

On the first day of testimony, jurors heard the frantic 911 call of the child's mother. Nyia Page’s mother can be heard sobbing as she tells a 911 operator that her daughter is missing.

William Lorenzo Page is charged with sexual assault, criminal homicide and other crimes in the February 2007 death of his daughter, Nyia.

Spectators at the trial were warned that they would hear disturbing and graphic testimony of what happened to Nyia.

Earlier Wednesday, Page’s mother collapsed in the courthouse, suffering from some sort of seizure, Channel 11 News reporter Renee Kaminski said. She was taken out of the courthouse on a stretcher. There is no word on her condition.

Police said Page kicked Nyia in the groin when she kept taking off her diaper. They said Page then took Nyia outside and left her to die in freezing temperatures.

Police found Nyia's abandoned body in a wooded area near the family's home. Police said Lorenzo Page took his daughter, who was wearing only a diaper and a sweater, to the woods and then listened to her scream for 10 minutes before he left.

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ARCHIVE VIDEO: Saying Goodbye To Nyia Page

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Police said tiny footprints in the snow suggest the toddler walked around before she died.

Nyia's mother took the stand on Wednesday, telling stories about how the little girl would sing the "Barney" song. She said William Page was disgruntled with his job and started taking it out on the kids.

Investigators said they believe Nyia was sexually abused and that Page tried to abandon her to cover it up.

Page's defense attorney told jurors on Wednesday to remain emotionless and check their emotions at the door. He urged them to listen to all the facts and remain objective.

The trial began after a judge rejected claims by Page's attorneys that he's mentally disabled.

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