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Pinellas Sheriff Charges Man with Killing His Baby Daughter

Pinellas Crime | Local News | TB Reporter

Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies arrested the Pinellas Park man this afternoon (Feb. 21) and charged him with the 3-month-old’s death.

PINELLAS PARK  – Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Saturday (Feb. 21) that deputies had arrested a Pinellas Park man and charged him with the murder of his infant daughter.

Deputies say the baby, Olivia Dykes, who was born Nov. 13, 2014, died  at her home, 6312 71st St. N in Pinellas Park, sometime between the late evening hours on Wednesday (Feb. 18) and the early morning hours of Thursday (Feb. 19).

Arrested and charged with murder in the first degree, a capital felony, was Steven C. Dykes, 44, who lived at 6312 71st St. N.

The following describes the timeline as sheriff’s detectives were able to piece together by late Saturday afternoon:

Olivia’s mother, Melissa Schroll, 33, returned from a job interview about 7 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 18). The baby had been in Dykes’ care while Schroll was away. Detectives say the baby was asleep when Schroll returned home. Schroll and Dykes went to sleep about 7 p.m. and were awakened around midnight by Olivia’s crying. Dykes allegedly got up to feed the baby and subsequently returned to bed. According to investigators, Olivia began crying again at about 12:30 a.m. and Dykes once again supposedly got up to tend to the child.

Detectives say when Schroll got up around  4:15 a.m., she saw the baby and believed she was asleep. At about 6 a.m. she stepped outside of the house, when Dykes suddenly came out holding the baby and screaming she was dead. The baby was unresponsive. Emergency services responded after 911 was called and Olivia was taken by ambulance to St. Petersburg General Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Detectives began their investigation and say it was evident that the baby had sustained trauma to her head, face and feet. The Pinellas County medical examiner conducted an autopsy and further determined that Olivia had suffered multiple skull fractures. Through their two-day investigation via surveillance and various other investigative techniques, detectives say they determined that Dykes had caused the injuries to Olivia by holding her by her feet while causing blunt trauma to her head.

Deputies arrested Dykes near his residence about 2:30 p.m. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail without further incident. The investigation continues. For information, see pcsoweb.com.

Pinellas Crime | Pinellas County Sheriff | Bob Gualtieri

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