BELLE ROSE – A Belle Rose man was arrested for the murder of a 3-year-old girl, Assumption Parish deputies said. 

Deputies said that, early Thursday morning, they were dispatched to Assumption Community Hospital in Napoleonville after a child was brought to the hospital by a man, later identified as Bernard JR Fleander. Fleander, who is not the girl's biological father, was caring for several other children when he brought her to the hospital. 

Sheriff Leland Falcon confirmed that the girl was beaten to death during potty training at Fleander's home.

The girl had several significant injuries throughout her body. The child was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. According to deputies, her death was ruled a homicide. The sheriff said the autopsy outlines the girl's fatal injuries.

"She had multiple contusions, hemorrhaging throughout the body, and broken ribs," said Falcon.

Deputies later searched Fleander's La. 308 home and interviewed witnesses at the home where the alleged incident happened.

Neighbor Shane Lee, who not know the child or Fleander, was angry to hear about the girl's death.

"The thing that happened with this 3-year-old, that ain't right. People are just acting crazy. They don't have no sense. They don't think," said Lee.

After an investigation, deputies arrested Fleander on first-degree murder charges. He was also booked on a failure-to-appear charge for a previous simple battery arrest in Terrebonne Parish.