Gwinnett man charged with murder after his 9-week-old daughter dies

Police started investigating after Woods took the girl to Northside Duluth Hospital on Saturday morning, according to an incident report.

Officers said Woods had been watching the child at his home in the 4100 block of Plantation Trace since about 1 p.m. the day before, the report said. Woods told police he had been playing with her “by throwing her up in the air and catching her.”

Woods put the baby in his bed about 10 p.m., and when he checked on her at 2 a.m., “It seemed like the baby had difficulty breathing,” the report said.

Woods later told police he tried to feed the girl, but she wouldn’t take a bottle or pacifier, the incident report said. Woods said the baby “wasn’t moving normal like kids do ... and he assumed the baby was just tired,” according to investigators.

About three hours later at 5 a.m., Woods took the baby to the hospital.

“Upon arrival, the nurses and doctor determined the baby was already deceased,” the report said.

A nurse told police the baby had bruising on her torso and arms that seemed to be recent. A detective said the baby was cold to the touch when Woods brought her in.

“Due to the significant bruising and death of the infant, Mr. Woods was arrested and charged with murder,” Duluth police spokesman Officer Ted Sadowski said.

The cause of death is unclear.

Investigators said Woods and the girl’s mother were recently separated and he was seeing another woman. The mother told investigators she left the baby with Woods for the weekend.

Woods was booked Saturday into the Gwinnett County jail, where he remains.

Kimberly Hernandez, who is the 9-week-old girl’s mother, defended Woods and said the baby died in her sleep. In an Instagram live video, she said Woods “loved that baby” and isn’t to blame in her death.

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