Suspect arrested for allegedly killing 1-year-old
Angela Elizabeth Beard, 1, died Thursday at a hospital four days after she suffered unspecified injuries in an incident, according to several reports.
She had been on life support.
"Angela Elizabeth Beard passed away peacefully in the arms of family on 5/24/18," a GoFundMe page set up by the family said. "During her short time on earth, she touched many lives and was loved dearly. Angela is deeply loved by mommy, daddy, big sister Adrianna, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and many others."
The girl's suspected killer Drue Burd, 19, was arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children and simple assault.
“The Altoona Police Department is investigating a very serious incident that occurred on Sunday, May 20, just before 9 a.m. on the 900 block of 23rd Avenue,”Altoona police Sgt. Matthew Plummer told Altoona media outlets on Thursday. “Altoona detectives are working diligently with doctors and medical staff to determine the origin of injuries.”
Altoona police Lt. Jeffrey Pratt told the Altoona Mirror that officers were dispatched Sunday for a child in cardiac arrest and performed CPR on the child who was later flown to a hospital.
Burd told police he had put his hand over Beard's mouth and nose, according to WJAC.
"I wasn't trying to kill her, I was trying to put her out," he told police.
"We had so many hopes, so many fears, there has been so much joy, so much sorrow, and now all our words seem empty," the GoFundMe page said. "What we want we cannot have; and what we thought was promised has been taken from us."
This story was originally published May 25, 2018 at 8:32 AM with the headline "Suspect arrested for allegedly killing 1-year-old."