Six-month-old girl dead, infant’s father in jail
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office says a six-month-old infant is dead and her father has been arrested.
Just after midnight, deputies responded to a 911 call from the child’s mother in Prosperity regarding a domestic issue.
Deputies were told the child’s father, 38-year-old Colie Dawkins, had been given permission to take the child to his home in the Greenville-Spartanburg area.
But after leaving, deputies say Dawkins called the child’s mother and berated her, threatening to harm their little girl.
Deputies began the search for Dawkins and his vehicle, a white Toyota Prius.
At around 2 a.m., a deputy with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office spotted the white Prius at a 76 gas station, located just at the intersection of Highway 34 and Interstate 26.
The deputy found the suspect in the driver’s seat and the infant unrestrained in a child’s seat. Deputies say the child was found unresponsive.
Newberry County EMS attempted to revive the child on its way to Newberry County Memorial Hospital but were unsuccessful.
Dawkins was arrested and taken to the Newberry County Detention Center where he faces charges of unlawful conduct to a child and violation of the habitual offender act.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says the child’s death is most difficult on the child’s mother, but is also difficult on everyone involved.
“This guy caused a lot of havoc for no reason. None. And um, I certainly hope that the court system will look upon that and he’ll be punished severely,” says Sheriff Foster.
The Newberry County Coroner’s Office is performing an autopsy to determine the cause of the child’s death.
“You know right now we don’t know why he just came unglued with the baby’s mother. And then even if he came unglued with the baby’s mother, why take it out on the child. That makes no sense at all. None. So those are questions we have got to answer,” Sheriff Foster says.
SLED Child Fatality Unit is also investigating. Dawkins could face further charges.
