Missouri man charged for killing toddler stepdaughter over cake

A St. Louis man is accused of beating his toddler stepdaughter to death for taking a piece of cake.

Second-degree murder charges were filed Tuesday against 23-year-old Deonte Evans. His stepdaughter, 23-month-old Jabria Phillips, died Tuesday of blunt force trauma. The girl’s mother, Shanika Evans, is charged with first-degree child endangerment for waiting a day after the alleged beating before seeking medical treatment.

Police say Deonte Evans hit the girl after she took the cake on Monday. An autopsy showed strikes to the girl’s torso caused fatal injuries to her internal organs.

This story was originally published February 12, 2014 at 7:51 AM with the headline "Missouri man charged for killing toddler stepdaughter over cake."