Florida man accused in fatal beating of 2-year-old boy

LAKELAND, Fla. — A Florida man is accused of fatally beating a 2-year-old boy after the child urinated on a couch, authorities said.

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Alegray Damiah Jones, 30, of Winter Haven, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, The Ledger of Lakeland reported. He was being held without bail at the Polk County Jail, the newspaper reported.

According to the Lakeland Police Department, Jones said he became angry with the boy Thursday night and struck the child several times, WTVT reported. Jones admitted to hitting, throwing and squeezing the boy until the child lost consciousness, the Ledger reported.

Jones, realizing the child was unresponsive, texted the boy’s mother instead of calling 911, according to a police report. Jones began texting the woman at 11 p.m. while she was at work. According to police, the woman called Jones via FaceTime after opening the text shortly after midnight on Friday, according to the Ledger.

The woman left work and came home, calling 911 after she arrived, the newspaper reported.

The boy was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy was performed later in the day, and the boy’s death was ruled a homicide by multiple blunt force trauma injuries, WTVT reported.

Cox Media Group