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Daily Voice broke the news last Wednesday that the girl had died after possibly being beaten (SEE: Paterson Couple Questioned After Girl, 3, Dies Of Injuries).
Jonathan Almodovar, 30, and Damarius Lawson, 33, brought the unresponsive child to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson on Jan. 20, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said on Monday.
"They both stated that the 3-year-old fell," a law enforcement officer told Daily Voice. "The baby appears to have possibly been abused."
Valdes confirmed on Monday that the girl was diagnosed with a significant brain injury and had injuries consistent with a sexual assault.
Lawson tried to make a witness lie about the incident, she added.
Following an autopsy, Almodovar was charged with murder, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, the prosecutor said. Lawson was charged with aggravated manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, tampering with a witness, and tampering with physical evidence, she said.
Almodovar was being held on $2 million bail and Lawson on $1 million bail in the Passaic County Jail, Valdes said.
First court appearances for both were scheduled for Wednesday morning.
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