PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is a report from December 23, 2019 prior to news of the man's arrest.
The man arrested following the death of a 2-year-old boy last Monday now faces a first-degree murder charge, according to court documents.
Rickey Lockwood was arrested after his girlfriend's son had to be rushed to hospital suffering from traumatic brain and spinal injuries. The boy later died from those injuries.
Court documents show police responded to a call regarding a child not breathing. The child, however, was being driven to a nearby hospital by Lockwood.
Lockwood was directed by the fire department to stop his vehicle and wait for assistance. The fire department responded to their location and the boy was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
According to court documents, the medical staff reported the child had "visible signs of injury." Those signs included bruising to his face and abrasions on his chin. The child also had severe brain and spinal injuries.
"The brain and spinal injuries were so severe that the victim would have become unresponsive immediately," court documents said.
Court documents revealed that Lockwood was acting as caretaker for the boy, who was in the process of being potty trained, at the time the incident happened.
Another male resident inside the home told police he arrived home to the smell of a strong odor of feces and saw Lockwood cleaning the boy in a bathroom, according to court documents. That man told police he saw the boy walk to his room "under his own power."
Court documents show Lockwood ran into his friend's room holding the victim and "told him [the boy] was not breathing."
Lockwood denied causing the injuries observed on the boy and bathing him prior to the incident. His friend's 8-year-old daughter told police she had seen Lockwood spank the boy "several times" despite Lockwood telling police he did not use "physical discipline" with the boy.
Police later found feces soiled children's clothing, a damp washcloth and a toddler-sized T-shirt with what appeared to be blood on it.
Lockwood denied the allegations in court the day after the child's death.
The medical examiner ruled the boy's death a homicide after a December 24 postmortem examination.
Lockwood faces charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.