New details in Prince George toddler killing

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Charging documents are revealing new details in the death of a toddler in Prince George.

Police said 31-year-old Tyler Skinner was arrested Monday evening and charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse in connection to the 20-month-old boy's death. Police said Skinner is the boyfriend of the child's mother.

Court documents say the child was in Skinner's care at the time.

Police said they responded to a report of a non-responsive child in the 100 block of Blue Jay Street at 8:17 a.m. There they found the toddler with "severe trauma." He was transported to a hospital where he later died.

A fundraiser posted by the boy's family and verified by GoFundMe reads:

"Today, we lost him in a way no family should ever have to experience -- by the hands of someone we thought we could trust."

Skinner is currently being held without bail at Riverside Regional Jail.

His charges carry a heavy sentence, but they could change.

"At this point, the defendant is facing charges that carry 7 to 50 years, if he is ultimately convicted," 8News' legal analyst Russ Stone said. "What I would caution people about is that this only happened a couple of days ago. There's a whole lot of investigation that the police still need to do, including getting a report from the medical examiner as to what actually caused the death."

Stone said that information could result in charges changing.

PGPD remains actively investigating the toddler's death, and they say a formal update will be provided once the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined the cause and manner of death.

Skinner's first appearance in court is scheduled for Wednesday morning.