IRVING, Texas -- A man is facing charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend's 1-year-old daughter.
Allante Edwards, 19, is being held in the Irving Jail on two charges of injury to a child. Those charges have been dropped, but he now faces a capital murder charge.
Edwards called Irving PD on Jan. 4 and reported Olivia Cangemi was unresponsive at a home in the 1900 block of Rosebud Drive. Edwards had been babysitting Olivia and her two siblings, a 3-year-old girl and 6-month-old boy, Allante, Jr.
She was taken to Children’s Medical Center, where she was found to have a severe brain injury and signs of other internal injuries. She later died after being removed from life support.
According to a police report, Olivia had brain swelling, healing rib fractures, and possible abdominal trauma. An evaluation of her siblings found that Allante, Jr. also had injuries from being assaulted, including a bite mark on his cheek.
Detectives interviewed Edwards about the events surrounding the children's injuries, but say he changed his story. They also say that he has a previous history of domestic abuse.
They arrested Edwards for injury to a child.
The children's mother, Jennifer Cangemi, tearfully spoke with WFAA about Olivia.
"She was the most sweetest, smart, beautiful little girl I have ever seen in my life," Cangemi said.
“We want justice for Olivia. We want justice from what has been taken from our family," Olivia's grandmother Karen Cangemi said.
Olivia was on life support until Monday morning when her family decided to take her off. She died a short time later.
"It’s not fair to this world. We lost a child. She was just a joy to the world," Karen Cangemi says.
Jennifer Cangemi did not want to talk about the allegations against her boyfriend. She and her family say instead they want to focus on the fact Olivia was an organ donor and helped save other children’s lives.
"Because she can live on through other children, and she helped about three to four other kids," Jennifer said.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing.