Charges: Man beat to death girlfriend's 2-year-old while babysitting child in their Albert Lea home

A man fatally beat his girlfriend's 2-year-old son while babysitting the toddler at their southern Minnesota home, according to charges filed Friday.

Austin Navarro, 24, of Albert Lea was charged in Freeborn County District Court with second-degree murder and felony child endangerment in connection with the assault a day earlier of Ahziyas Bellemy Solo Dampha at the residence in the 500 block of James Avenue.

Navarro remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. He appeared in court late Friday afternoon and has another hearing scheduled for July 20. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

A police detective on the scene saw that Ahziyas suffered numerous severe bruises to his face and "multiple bruises on his torso," the charges read.

An autopsy by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office found internal bleeding in his lower torso, lacerations to his liver and pancreas, and bleeding just below the skull on one side of his head, the charges continued.

"Ahziyas fought for his life but his soul was set free," wrote the boy's cousin, Mariah Gliottone. "RIP little man, may you find peace as we find justice for you. You deserved so much more than this."

According to the criminal complaint and a related court filing:

Ahziyas' mother, Emma Sullivan, came home from work and called 911 to say her son was unresponsive. She told the officer her boyfriend was watching the boy. She then pointed at a vehicle and said he was driving away from the home.

The officer stopped the vehicle about nine blocks away. The couple's 12-week-old child was with him.

Navarro was sweating heavily and said he was nervous. He explained he woke up after hearing Ahziyas fall down the stairs, then put the child in a bathtub with cold water in an attempt to revive him. Navarro was then arrested.

While at the emergency room, the officer was informed that Ahziyas' injuries "did not appear consistent with a fall down the stairs."

During a later interview with police, Sullivan said she left Navarro to watch Ahziyas and their baby, and later started getting text messages from him about the 2-year-old falling down the stairs. He said in one text that Ahziyas "looks like he ... got beat up man."

Navarro gave in to Sullivan's insistence and sent her one photo that showed Ahziyas' facial injuries and him being unresponsive, prompting her to leave work early and call 911 from the home.

Court records in Minnesota show that Navarro has been convicted three times for domestic assault, twice for violating a no-contact order and once each for assault and disorderly conduct.