LARGO, Fla. (WTXL) - A Florida man has been arrested after detectives say he beat and squeezed his 7-week-old daughter to death.
Artem Eydelman, 29, was arrested on Monday and charged with the murder of 7-week-old Gwendolyn Eydelman.
According to detectives, deputies were called to a Largo home for a report of an unresponsive child on Nov. 17.
When they arrived, paramedics were rendering aid to 7-week-old Gwendolyn, who was unresponsive and not breathing. Deputies say the child was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Detectives then spoke to Gwendolyn's father, Eydelman, who was watching the child while the child's mother was at work.
Intially, deputies say Eydelman told detectives that he fed Gwendolyn and laid her down in her bassinet, before he fell asleep in his bed. When he awoke 15 minutes later and returned to the child's bassinet, Eydelman claimed he found the child unresponsive and not breathing.
That's when Eydelman said he alerted a family member in the home and called 911.
However, detectives were informed by doctors that Gwendolyn had suffered a severe skull fracture consistent with high force impact, bleeding on the brain, and numerous rib fractures consistent with compression trauma.
Two days after detectives spoke to Eydelman, Gwendolyn was removed from life-support and died from her injuries.
During the course of the investigation, detectives found several inconsistencies in Eydelman’s statements. Through the investigation, deputies say they learned that Eydelman hit Gwendolyn in the head and squeezed the child’s midsection before the child lost consciousness.
On Monday, detectives interviewed Eydelman, who finally admitted that he punched the child in the head out of frustration while changing her diaper. He also admitted to shaking the child and squeezing the child’s midsection before calling 911.
Based on his confession, detectives arrested Eydelman and transported him to the Pinellas County Jail. He was charged with one count of first degree murder, one count of violation of probation (robbery by sudden snatching), and one count of violation of probation (dealing in stolen property).
Detectives say Eydelman was not Gwendolyn's biological father.
The child's mother informed detectives she first met Eydelman when she was three months pregnant with Gwendolyn, though Eydelman signed Gwendolyn's birth certificate when she was born.
An investigation into this incident is ongoing.
