Police Chief Bob Berg and Cmdr. Dave Ross watch over the house as they wait for a search warrant.
Update at 9:53 p.m.: Police just announced they arrested James M. Reeder, 25, of Centralia, for first-degree murder.
Detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald said the arrest was made in part because of inconsistent statements and information they got from other sources, he said.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CENTRALIA – Centralia police are investigating the death of two-and-a-half year old girl.
The mother’s boyfriend said he was bathing the child, left to get a towel and returned to find the toddler face down in the bath tub according to the Centralia Police Department.
The child exhibited some injuries, recent and otherwise, that caused officers some concern, according to police.
Aid and police called about 3 p.m. to a neighborhood called Hunter’s Walk off of West Oakview Avenue found the man performing CPR on the child. She was not breathing, police said.
She was taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Detectives responded as a matter of routine, in the death of a child, according to police. No arrests have been made as of early this evening.
Yellow police tape blocks off the modular home. The crime scene investigation van is parked in front, while officers wait for a search warrant to go inside and investigate further.
Police Chief Bob Berg said they weren’t prepared to say if it was an accident or intentional.
“It’s death investigation,” Berg said.
Across the street neighbors Ray and Mary Stiltner said they were startled by loud knocking and opened their front door to see the unclothed child laying on their porch with a man.
“He was trying to do CPR on her,” Ray Stiltner said. “His attempts on that continued until they came.”
“He wasn’t doing it very well, I don’t think he knew how,” Mary Stiltner said. “It was very traumatic.”
She called 911.
Mary Stiltner said the man told them the little girl had been in the tub, he was gone for a few seconds and when he returned, she was under water.
Next door neighbors Scott and Cindy North said the woman had moved in about six months earlier.
Cindy North said she wasn’t sure who the man was, as the woman had a different boyfriend until recently.
“I didn’t hear anything, but a lot of times we’d hear the baby crying over there, like it needed attention,” Scott North said.
While neighbors said they saw the man taken away in a patrol car, detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald said he went voluntarily to be interviewed at the police department.
The mother of the child is being interviewed there as well tonight, Fitzgerald said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
well if every one new the dam story jame m reeder yes was coming down off meth she wanted him to watch the baby he said no he needed to sleep but she had to something very important so yessaid yes she made ur a peanut butter sandwitch as she was eatin it she got some in her hair she was tired so james new he had to put her in the bath tub so after that he dried her off then just put her to bed naked. james fell asleep then his phone wakes him up he checks it goes and and smokes a cigerette and then came inside to check up on her to find the baby not breathing.. james loved that little girl…why and were did the mom go when she just had to go.. think about that thats the true story try spending time in jail right next to him lisening to him cry and tell the story more than 60 times and did not change one word i truely believe he did not kill that poor girl he is not the kill i think screwus county should do there dam job right and actually have proof that that person did it!!! that killer is still out not fare to the rest of the kids
This is to horrible to even fathom. This poor child helped by no one against this evil monster for weeks? It is unfathomable, and what is equally sickening is that he will most likely plead some variation of insanity and get less than he deserves.
This is one of most disturbing stories I have ever heard of in this County! I almost lost my dinner on this one. This baby is in a better place now. Do we have the death penalty in Washington? I sure as heck hope so!!! I would love to be the executioner on this one. Lewis County please get this baby some justice.
This is so sad. Poor little angel was in the wrong hands. I hope he gets found guilty and the mom gets punished as well. Why would she leave her daughter with a complete stranger and to top it off give her a bath??????
Since he was booked for murder 1 I am SURE the whole story is not out yet. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the article said there was signs of past abuse on this little angel. 🙁 I hope I’m wrong.
Sounds like he shouldn’t have been bathing her! He wasn’t her dad! Why wasn’t mom doing it. He was new is what the neighbors said. Maybe he never worked with kids? Horrible mistake but I’m sure he feels pretty rotten
This makes me sick. An innocent 2 year old died. The man who was caring for her doesn’t leave a kid in the bath by herself. Let alone, leave for “a few seconds.” Something isn’t adding up here.