MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Police say an 18-year-old Florida man beat a 3-year-old girl with a brick inside a community recycling bin, leaving her critically injured.
Miami Gardens police charged Tristan Tavares Bernard with attempted second-degree murder and other felonies Friday in connection with the Thursday night attack.
Police say Bernard's mother was babysitting the girl. Neighbors told reporters they went outside after hearing screams and saw the girl in the bin as Bernard smashed her head with the brick. They said he ran off when they approached. The girl was taken to a Miami hospital for surgery and was in critical condition.
Police say Bernard told detectives he hit the girl because she left the house and wouldn't listen to him.
Bernard's family members told reporters he has a history of mental instability.
WPLG reports that the little girl suffered severe head trauma and is listed in critical condition.
