Sunday October 10, 2004 8:16 AM
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DETROIT (AP) - The father of a 3-year-old who was beaten to death in an attack on her day care center was arrested Saturday, a day after he was named as the suspect in the attack that also left two women hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
Bernard Kelly, 37, of Detroit, was taken into custody Saturday evening, Detroit Police Officer Jeremy Aguayo said. An arrest warrant for him listed charges of murder, assault with intent to commit murder and felony firearms possession, The Detroit News reported Sunday.
Police initially reported that 3-year-old Stefanie Belue had been shot to death, but later said she was fatally beaten in the Sept. 28 attack.
The warrant came after a woman shot during the rampage named Kelly as the assailant, Officer Glen Woods said.
Annette Rice, 41, the day care's operator, and Sherita Griggs, Rice's 22-year-old niece, were shot and critically wounded. Both women remained hospitalized Saturday. Police said Griggs regained consciousness Friday and identified Kelly.
``If Sherita had not gained consciousness, this case may have never been solved because they had no witnesses that would be able to identify him,'' said Lt. Roy McCallister, head of the Detroit homicide division.
Griggs' 4-month-old son, Amari, suffered a head injury when she dropped him during the attack. He was hospitalized for several days and has since been released. Two other children in the house were unharmed. In the days after Stefanie's death, Kelly told the Free Press that police questioned him the evening of Sept. 29. He denied any connection to the crimes.
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