The Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrested a Gainesville man Monday morning on a charge of killing his 1-year-old daughter — about 15 months after the girl died.
Christopher J. Strawder, 24, was charged with homicide and aggravated abuse toward a child for the Nov. 19, 2010 incident.
Members of the Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call at 5021 SW 64th St., Sgt. Todd Kelly said Monday. Only Strawder and his daughter Kamir were home.
Strawder told officers he was in his bedroom when he heard a loud thump from the kitchen. Kamir must have fallen from the countertop, he said.
Strawder said he found his daughter having a seizure on the ground. She was later pronounced dead at Shands at UF, Kelly said, adding that Strawder's account did not add up with the autopsy report. Medical examiners found a fracture in the back of the baby's head and ruptured blood vessels in the small intestine and one of her eyes, Kelly said.
Though Strawder was a suspect, the State Attorney's Office did not issue an arrest warrant until Thursday. In the 15 months between Kamir's death and Strawder's arrest, ASO waited for reports from the Medical Examiner's Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
"This was a case where we had to rely almost exclusively on the medical examiners and the doctors' expert opinions," Kelly said.
At about 3 a.m. Monday, detectives arrested Strawder at the Kangaroo Express at 4324 SW 20th Ave., where Strawder worked as a clerk.
Kamir's mother, Katrina Thomas, could not be reached for comment Monday. Strawder and Thomas lived together at 7204 SW 44th Place until they were evicted in June, according to public records.
One of their former roommates said Monday he did not know where the couple moved. According to the Clerk of the Courts, Strawder and Thomas have another child.
Strawder was held at the Alachua County Jail on Monday night with a $1.2 million bail.
