A 3-year-old boy died after his stepfather — the son of a Georgia police chief — brutally beat him with a belt, according to police and local reports.

Villa Rica cops responded to little Brentley Gore’s apartment Tuesday morning after his mother noticed bruises when she woke him up, NBC affiliate WXIA-TV reported.

“The child was airlifted to an Atlanta-area hospital with multiple skull fractures,” police Capt. Keith Shaddix told the station. “There was some swelling around the eyes, some bruising that showed up on the forehead.”

The helpless tot succumbed to his injuries Sunday, police said.

An investigation determined that the boy’s stepfather, 21-year-old Joshua Richards — the son of Carollton Police Chief Josh Richards — had beaten him with a belt, authorities told the station. Police believe his mother was sleeping in a nearby room during the attack, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Richards was initially charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree cruelty to children and possession of marijuana, police said. A murder charge was added after Bentley’s death.

Richards is being held at the Carroll County Jail, according to authorities. He is reportedly on suicide watch, WXIA-TV reported. During his first court appearance Wednesday, he was denied bond.

“I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and these kinds of cases break my heart,” Shaddix told the station.