A Georgia woman has been charged in the brutal beating death of a 2-year-old girl she was babysitting.
Sandy Springs police say Kirstie Hannah Flood, 29, beat little Fallon Fridley to death in the Sandy Springs apartment the toddler shared with her mother, Kristin Fridley Gantt.
Flood was arrested two days after Fallon was found unresponsive in the apartment.
Gantt, an employee at Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, told Channel 2 Action News the babysitter called her at work, crying hysterically, and told her the toddler fell and hit her head on playground equipment.
Fallon was rushed to a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta location, where she was pronounced dead, according to police.
Doctors told police the child’s injuries were inconsistent with Flood’s story.
The coroner’s report revealed a massive skull fracture and lacerations to Fallon’s liver, spleen and colon. The autopsy showed the girl “suffered severe injuries that resulted in her death during her care by the suspect,” Sandy Springs police said Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Flood had been Fallon’s babysitter since August, and she was a family friend for years. Gantt couldn’t comprehend that Flood was capable of such brutality.
Apparently, Flood was also unaware of the murderous rage that lurked inside her.
Police obtained a search warrant for her Flood’s phone and found internet searches for “what does it mean to have a sudden urge to beat a child that’s not yours,” and “what type of people enjoy abusing other people’s children” according to the warrant.
Flood, who is from Smyrna, was arrested five times before her 21st birthday, according to Cobb County records obtained by the AJC. The charges ranged from battery to alcohol use and drug possession.
Flood is being held in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
A GoFundMe page created for funeral expenses raised nearly $32,000 as of Tuesday, Dec. 15.
