Tampa Man Struck, Killed 1-Year-Old For Being 'Whiny,' Police Say

TAMPA, FL — A 28-year-old Tampa man is facing first-degree murder charges after Tampa police said he struck a 1-year-old child for being "whiny."

Police arrested Terin Smith Sunday in Clarksville, Tennessee, after an autopsy conducted by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office showed the child had injuries to the abdomen and head, according to the police report.

According to police, just before 3 p.m. on Aug. 1, Tampa police responded to a call of a 1-year-old child who was not breathing at an apartment in the 6700 block of Woodville Street in Tampa. After being taken to Saint Joseph's Hospital, the child was pronounced dead.

During their investigation, detectives said they learned that the child lived with and was in the care of Smith while the baby's mother was at work.

According to a witness, detectives said Smith was giving the baby a bath and struck the child for being "whiny" before laying the baby in a crib.

Other children in the apartment notice that the baby was unresponsive and rushed the child to a neighbor's apartment to ask for help, according to police.

Smith had left the apartment before police arrived.

He's been charged with first-degree murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse.