Texas man beats girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter to death for putting on shoes on the wrong feet

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A 27-year-old man will spend his life in jail without the possibility of parole for beating a toddler to death for putting on shoes on the wrong feet, it was reported.

Jadin Nunez was found guilty of capital murder of Shannah McAlpine by a jury at the 426th Judicial District Court in Bell County, Texas.

On 22 September 2019, officers with the Temple Police Department and emergency medical services officials were dispatched to a home at the 800 block of South 11th Street at approximately 2.50am after they received a call about an unresponsive child at the Temple home.

The reports said that the first responders found two-year-old Shannah not breathing. The child was covered in bruises, local reports said.

Investigators learned that Mr Nunez was upset with the two-year-old for putting on her shoes on the wrong feet. This incident happened just days before the girl’s birthday, it was reported.

The mother of the girl, Ashley McAlpine — who was dating Mr Nunez at the time —  told investigators they were about to leave for a store to buy things for Shannah’s birthday.

The Killeen Daily Herald, which obtained the report from the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services, reported that Nunez lashed out at the girl for putting on her shoes on the wrong feet.

Reports said that Mr Nunez brutally beat up and choked the child “until she turned blue” just as they were getting ready to pick up supplies for her birthday.

Ms McAlpine attempted to get him off the girl, according to the Killeen Daily Herald.

It was reported that he kept on choking her for a couple of minutes. Authorities said that when the first responders reached the spot, they found her “unresponsive” and “covered in bruises”.

Ms McAlpine told investigators that she called 911 after she realised her daughter’s stomach was “swollen and hot”.

The autopsy results later revealed that the two-year-old died of blunt trauma to her stomach.

Mr Nunez was arrested two days after the girl’s death.

Ms McAlpine was charged last year in December after authorities said that she failed to stop Mr Nunez from attacking the child. She is currently being held in Bell County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

Her pre-trial court hearing is scheduled for 29 October. She has pleaded not guilty.