Orange County man abuses, kills his 3-month-old daughter: Deputies
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - An Orange County man has been arrested after deputies say he abused and killed his 3-month-old daughter.
Officials said an autopsy report showed baby Nova‘s skull was fractured in numerous places, and she had several healing rib fractures.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) says Darius Stephone Nichols, 20, is facing first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges.
Skull and rib fractures
What we know:
On April 30, the OCSO said they responded to 10169 Marsh Pine Circle in reference to an unresponsive 3-month-old baby.
Once they arrived at the scene, officials said they attempted to perform CPR on the baby, and she was transported to the hospital. Only a few hours later, she was pronounced dead.
Deputies say the baby's father, Nichols, told them his daughter Nova had fallen from the sofa and became unresponsive. Nichols said the only injuries his daughter would have had on her body would have been from falling off the couch.
An autopsy report showed that Nova had multiple acute skull fractures and bilateral retinal hemorrhages. In addition, her rib cage had multiple healing rib fractures, which officials said indicated prior abuse and past trauma.
Authorities said most of the injuries observed in the autopsy were inconsistent with the information provided by Nichols.
Upon searching Nichols' house, deputies said they discovered suspected tablets of fentanyl and the strong odor of marijuana.
What we don't know:
It is currently unclear what led Nichols to allegedly abuse his daughter.
So far, Nichols has denied the allegations of abuse.
What's next:
Jail records show Nichols is currently being held on no bond at the Orange County Jail.
What they're saying:
"In her short life, baby Nova suffered horrific abuse and trauma," deputies said. "She is resting peacefully now, and our detectives will get justice for baby Nova."
This is a developing story. Check back later for more updates.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) in a Facebook post and in an arrest affidavit.