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have arrested a Phoenix father on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the death of one of his 1-month-old twin girls.
A judge imposed a bond of $1 million for 39-year-old Duryea Bennett during his initial court appearance
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Bennett was jailed on charges of murder and child abuse, a police spokesman said.
Bennett was taken into custody Wednesday night after signs of trauma were found on the body of his daughter, Natalyah, after she was taken to a Phoenix hospital, where she died
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Crump said hospital staff found numerous injuries, including bruises, a skull fracture, fractured ribs, bite marks and injuries consistent with sexual assault.
Bennett told his 14-year-old son that the infant was not breathing and the teen called 911, reporting the infant had stopped breathing while she was in the bath at her home
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Phoenix Fire Department officials said the girl, who was pronounced dead at the hospital just before 2 p.m. Thursday, was only 35 days old.
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the father was the only adult home with seven children. Bennett told police it was the first time he was alone with the twin infants.
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said he used force and hit the infant numerous times on the back and stomach in an attempt to stop her from choking on milk from an earlier feeding,
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He also told police he bit his daughter in an attempt to revive her.
"I only got to see both of them once since they been born," said JohnnieMae Stevenson, the baby's aunt.
"The baby was choking. He turned her up. The baby threw up, and then he had put them in the bath and then went to go get a towel,"
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"The next thing you know, the baby was not breathing."
Next-door neighbor Jason Knight had arrived home about 3:30 p.m. and saw police with the father.
"I seen the gentleman in the driveway,"
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"The cops had him in handcuffs, and the next thing you know, they put him in the back seat and hauled him off."
Even though the father attempted CPR, police called the incident "suspicious" early in the investigation.
"I was told that the baby had just stopped breathing and that the baby had bruises,"
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Everyone in her family, Stevenson said, is clueless as to why the newest member of her family is gone too soon.
"He (the baby's father) was always loving and caring," Stevenson said. "So it would be a shocker if something did come and suspect that he did it."
The baby's father is facing charges of murder and child abuse. The surviving twin girl is said to be doing just fine.
Bennett has a criminal history with three prior felonies.