An Indiana man has been arrested after police say his 3-month-old daughter suffered fatal injuries while in his care for the first time, despite his initial claim that the infant became overheated during a car ride.
Curtis Jenkins, 24, is being held on a preliminary murder allegation following the death of his daughter, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The incident began on July 18, when officers responded to a residence on Station Street in northeast Indianapolis for a welfare check involving the infant.
According to court documents obtained by local news outlets, Jenkins told officers and paramedics that his daughter may have become overheated because the car they had been driving in did not have air conditioning.
He reportedly said he noticed the baby was getting too hot and attempted to cool her down by giving her water.
The child was transported to Riley Hospital for Children, where she remained hospitalized for several days before dying from her injuries on July 21.
According to investigators, Jenkins told police he called 911 after realizing the baby was no longer breathing normally.
However, doctors who examined the infant found injuries that they said were inconsistent with heat exposure.
Court documents state the baby suffered three separate brain bleeds, retinal hemorrhages, multiple broken ribs, and extensive hemorrhaging throughout her spine, which doctors reportedly described as “too many hemorrhages to count.”
Medical personnel told investigators those injuries could not be explained by the father’s account that the child had become overheated in a vehicle.
During questioning, Jenkins allegedly denied knowing how the injuries occurred.
According to court records, he told detectives that if he discovered who had harmed his daughter, he would kill that person. He also reportedly insisted that he would never hurt any of his children.
Police ended the interview after Jenkins requested an attorney.
As part of the investigation, detectives obtained surveillance footage from the apartment complex where the incident occurred.
Authorities said Jenkins had also contacted the property’s management office seeking access to the same video.
According to investigators, the surveillance footage allegedly captured Jenkins repeatedly yelling at the crying infant and telling her to “shut up.”
Police also reported hearing loud thuds, smacking noises, and sounds that investigators believed were consistent with a child car seat being dropped.
Court documents further allege the recording contains approximately one minute of what investigators described as cries of pain along with unusual noises coming from inside the apartment.
At one point, police said Jenkins could allegedly be heard telling the baby, “You keep crying. I don’t want to deal with you.”
Later in the recording, investigators said he appeared to call out the baby’s name as if trying to wake her before uttering an expletive.
Detectives also interviewed the child’s mother, who reportedly told them she had been hesitant to leave the baby alone with Jenkins because there had previously been Department of Child Services (DCS) investigations involving his other children.
According to investigators, she said this was the first time Jenkins had ever been alone caring for their daughter.
The mother also provided detectives with a video recorded shortly before Jenkins picked up the infant. Police said the footage showed the baby appearing healthy before she left with her father.
Investigators further reported that the mother said Jenkins had previously encouraged her to take Plan B or have an abortion during the pregnancy.
Jenkins is currently being held in the Marion County Jail while prosecutors review the case and determine formal charges.
The investigation remains ongoing. The allegations against Jenkins have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless found guilty through the legal process.
