New Bedford man charged in baby's death

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WHDH) -- A New Bedford man is being held without bail after pleading not guilty in the death of a 9-month-old girl.

Prosecutors said Ethen Harrison, 23, was alone with the baby when she became fussy and he admitted to dropping her on the floor more than once. In court documents, investigators say Harrison admitted he dropped the baby on the floor, picked her up then threw her onto the bed where she bounced off and dropped four feet to the ground.

Harrison was arraigned Friday on charges of reckless endangerment of a child, assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Harrison lives with the baby's mother. Authorities say Harrison isn't the biological father of the baby, Ariel Eluziario.

“We’ve determined based the nature of the injuries and the opinions of the medical people that the injuries could have only been inflicted while the defendant was the sole -- had sole care of the child,” said prosecutor Stephen Nadeau.

The child was brought by private car to a New Bedford hospital at about 6 p.m. Thursday, then flown to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, R.I. She was pronounced dead shortly after 10 p.m.

An autopsy is scheduled.

Prosecutors said Harrison could face murder charges pending the outcome of the autopsy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.