California man charged with murder, torture enhancement in death of girlfriend’s 1-year-old daughter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (TCD) --

Police arrested a 43-year-old man suspected of killing a 1-year-old girl in a West Sacramento motel room on Monday.

KTXL-TV reports authorities were called to perform a welfare check at Silvey's Motel on the 1000 block of West Capitol Avenue about noon on Monday, Feb. 16.

West Sacramento Police said officers found a 1-year-old girl had succumbed to "traumatic injuries." KTXL reports the girl's 3-year-old brother was also found in the motel room with multiple injuries. The boy was hospitalized in unknown condition.

The department issued a homicide arrest warrant for Derrick Woods, described as being in a relationship with the children's mother, Monday. Woods is reportedly not the girl's father.

Multiple agencies executing a search warrant arrested Woods at a residence in Sacramento at noon Tuesday.

The Sacramento Bee reports the girl’s family says she was found dead with severe bruising. Family members said the girl's mother left her two children with Woods, who she had been dating, and the mother was the one who found her daughter, the Bee reports. The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office charged Woods with murder in the death of the girl Thursday morning, with a special circumstances enhancement alleging Woods committed torture in the girl’s death -- making the case eligible for the death penalty, the Bee reports.

KOVR-TV reports Woods has a criminal history. According to Sacramento County records, Woods most recently faced charges in 2011 for domestic battery and brandishing a weapon, and in 1996 he pleaded no contest to child abuse charges, KOVR reports.

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