A New Mexico father was arrested on Friday and charged with child abuse after allegedly beating his 5-year-old daughter to death as a result of a dispute over homework.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by Yahoo Lifestyle, Brandon Reynolds, 36, told police that he had been helping his daughter with her school work on Thursday evening when she expressed that she didn’t want to do it. He said that he became enraged and “that’s when the discipline kicked in.”

The police report says that the father began spanking his child with a shoe and that he ended up “blacking out.” Reynolds eventually called 911 at around 1:00 AM on Friday and claimed that his daughter had gone into cardiac arrest.

Police explained during a press conference on Friday afternoon that first responders decided to alert police officers after determining that the situation had been criminal. The complaint states that officers noticed blood stains on the living room wall and carpet upon arrival.

Medics performed CPR on the 5-year-old girl before transporting her to the University of New Mexico Hospital where she was later pronounced dead. There, hospital staff and officers noted the bruises that covered the little girl’s side and back, and decided to bring Reynolds into custody.

Brandon Reynolds, 36, was arrested and charged with child abuse after allegedly beating his 5-year-old daughter to death. (Photo: Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center)

Albuquerque police and the crimes against children unit conducted an investigation and interviewed Reynolds, where he confessed. Now, the father remains in custody at the Bernalillo Detention Center.

The child’s mother, Chantel DuBois, didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. However, a gofundme that she set up reveals that DuBois lives in California, where the little girl recently spent time with her. DuBois is currently trying to raise funds to go out to New Mexico and provide her daughter with a proper burial.

“I was hoping to have more time with her. My heart just hurts so bad,” DuBois wrote. “She didn’t deserve this.”

DuBois also says that her daughter was diagnosed with autism and claims that Reynolds “could not deal” with her diagnosis.

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Neighbors of Reynolds told police that they heard the commotion and one even tried to document it on her phone. The City of Albuquerque Park Management Division is currently raising money to plant a memorial tree for the little girl.

“She was a little angel,” one neighbor told KOAT.

Police say that an autopsy is still pending.

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