Mom Wants Boyfriend to Babysit Girl, He Ends up Allegedly Killing Her: Police

A GoFundMe page was started for the mother of the slain child. (GoFundMe)

A Michigan man will remain in jail without bond after he allegedly killed his girlfriend’s 1-year-old daughter.

Damian Garrett, 23, who appeared before a judge on Tuesday, is accused of killing 1-year-old Skylar Papple in September, reported the Midland Daily News.

He was babysitting the child when she drowned in a bathtub. Her mother, Emma Buchholz, wasn’t home at the time, police said.

“Garrett said that he then became frustrated and hit or pushed Skylar in the back, harder than he ever had before, causing her to fall forward and hit her head on the bath faucet,” a police affidavit said.

Garrett went on to admit that he hit Skylar in the head when she resisted him trying to wash her hair. He then knocked her down about four times, and she hit her head on the bathtub, said police.

Damian Garrett is accused in the girl's death. (Midland Police)

“He stated that he knocked her down approximately four times and she struck her head on the bathtub when he did this,” a detective wrote, according to MLive, citing the affidavit. The man also “freaked out” and was upset with himself after the incident.

“He left Skylar facedown in the water and went out to the living room where he was punching the floor,” the detective said. After about 5 minutes, he went back to the bathroom where the girl remained motionless in 6 to 8 inches of water.

Garrett said that he tried to revive the girl and ran to another apartment to get help because he didn’t have a phone in his unit.

In the wake of her daughter’s death, Emma N. Buchholz began a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

“I lost my precious baby and I need help with funeral expenses that I cannot afford... anything helps,” she wrote on the page. As of Wednesday, about $700 has been raised.

“My little girl passed away last week and I need help with some of the expenses for the funeral. I need to get the marker, the urn and urn pendant, and raise up for the burial. Skylars father and I are doing separate funerals as we are splitting the ashes. Anything helps, as it will be extremely appreciated. Thank you,” she later wrote.

Cropped image showing an ambulance vehicle in Sydney, Australia, on May 15, 2016. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Robert Papple, who said he is the father of the girl, told CrimeOnline that he was attempting to gain custody of Skylar before her death.