BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested for the murder of a toddler Thursday, more than three years after the then-2-year-old was seriously injured while in his care. 

According to court documents, 40-year-old Howard Youngblood was arrested in 2022 for second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.

Paperwork says the toddler he was babysitting suffered multiple bleeds inside his head, causing brain damage. He told officers that the child fell off his steps, but doctors said the severe injuries could not have been caused by one fall.

Youngblood pleaded guilty to the charge in 2025 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which was suspended, and placed on three years of supervised probation.

The Baton Rouge Police Department said Thursday that the child had died in hospice on June 8, 2026. Youngblood was booked for first-degree murder in the case.