Minnesota Man Charged With Beating And Burning 17-Month-Old Girl To Death

A Minnesota man is now charged with murder in connection to a 17-month-old girl’s death in Maplewood.

A criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County on Thursday, Oct. 20 charged 26-year-old Terrance Valdez Leslie with one count of second-degree murder without intent for the death of his girlfriend’s young daughter.

According to police, officers responded to the 1400 block of County Road B East on the night of Oct. 18 after getting a report that an infant had “significant injuries.” According to the complaint, first responders noted “fresh burns” on her cheek, neck and arms.

Though initially treated by first responders, the child was taken to Children’s Hospital where she later died after going into cardiac arrest, according to court documents.

Maplewood Police said the child’s mother and boyfriend, now identified as Leslie, were booked at the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder back on Oct. 18. The department later confirmed to that the child’s mother was released because there “was no information that she was directly involved in the death of the child.” Police said they believe she, too, is a victim of domestic abuse.

According to the criminal complaint, Leslie was watching the child on October 18 while her mother went to work. Prosecutors allege that Leslie told the child’s mother that she was burned after falling into a bathtub of hot water. Officers noted that the burn patterns on the child didn’t match Leslie’s story, and emergency room physicians said injuries all over the 17-month-old’s body indicated ongoing abuse.

Court documents went on to say that investigators found multiple videos of child abuse on Leslie’s phone, including a video where Leslie loudly slapped the 17-month-old on her cheek.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined the child’s cause of death was “multiple traumatic injuries due to assault,” according to the complaint.

A Ramsey County judge ordered Leslie to remain in custody. A first court appearance for Leslie is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21.

The tragic nature of the case is shining a light on the issue of child abuse. Ann Gaasch, the CEO of Minneapolis-based FamilyWise, said that if you suspect a child’s safety may be at risk, it’s important to call a professional.

That could include calling police for a welfare check, or reaching out through other resources such as 211 or the National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-Child (422-4453).

“Sometimes it’s, ‘what do you do between the crisis? What do you do if there’s a family in crisis and how do you reach out to those community supports and share those resources with a family?'” Gaasch said. “Someone might need help getting there, whether it’s barriers around transportation, or sometimes it’s really hard to ask for help. So, thinking about, how you can help support a family, access those resources, making the phone calls… just helping them know what’s available for them in the community.”