A father beat and squeezed his seven week-old baby daughter to death because he was upset at having to change her diaper, police say.

Artem Eydelman, 29, allegedly left baby Gwendolyn with a severe skull fracture ‘consistent with high force impact’ after the alleged attack in Largo, Florida, on November 17.

The infant also suffered bleeding on her brain and rib fractures consistent with his admission that he had squeezed her abdomen, according to sheriff’s deputies.

A picture on Artem Eydelman’s Facebook page that appears to show him cradling his daughter Gwendolyn. He murdered the infant when she was just seven weeks old, police say (Picture: Facebook)

Baby Gwendolyn suffered horrific injuries including fractured ribs and a brain-bleed (Picture: GoFundMe)

Eydelman, who was not Gwendolyn’s biological dad, but signed his name as her father on the child’s birth certificate, is said to have been caring for the little girl while her mom worked.




He initially claimed to deputies from Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office that he fed Gwendolyn, then put her down in a bassinet before falling asleep.

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Eydelman, who met Gwendolyn’s mother while she was pregnant, said he found the baby unresponsive when he woke up, according to documents seen by the Miami Herald.

He dialed 911, with Gwendolyn succumbing to her injuries on November 19.

During a subsequent interview on November 26, Eydelman is said to have admitted that he became frustrated while changing Gwendolyn’s diaper, before punching, shaking and squeezing he baby.

Eydelman is said to have told police that he grew frustrated with Gwendolyn after having to change her diaper. He has now been charged with murder (Picture: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

The baby’s mother Mariah Samon has since paid tribute to her daughter on Facebook – and said she had no idea of Eydelman’s alleged violent streak.

She wrote: ‘How can you know when he was nothing but kind and gentle to Gwen in front of me and the abuse happened 1 time in a fit of rage while I was at work.

‘I just checked on her during my lunch break that day, not even 2 hours before it happened & Artem said they were at the park and she was being so good for him.’

Samon added: ‘Also I’m moving this week because I can’t even bare to go up to my own bedroom, knowing that Artem confessed to that being where the abuse happened.

‘I don’t want to use my own bathroom, because I think of giving Gwen baths and it was her favorite time.’

Eydelman has been charged with murder and violating his parole following a previous, unspecified offense.

He is being held in Pinellas County Jail while deputies continue to investigate the claims against him.