Man Held in Death of Girlfriend’s Baby

A man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting and then killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter while the baby’s mother was shopping, authorities in Lancaster said Sunday.

Robert Patalsky, 23, was being held without bail in the death of Brianna Lee Schmidt, who died about 4 p.m. Saturday after a neighbor reported that the child was vomiting and could not breathe, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Spear said.

Doctors later discovered bruises on Brianna’s body as well as anal bleeding, which led them to believe that she had been sexually assaulted, Spear said. Patalsky, who resides in the 44700 block of Sarah Lane with his girlfriend and his mother, was arrested after being questioned by detectives.

Spear declined to discuss why detectives suspect Patalsky in connection with the death.

Spear said Brianna was left in Patalsky’s care while her mother, Renate Schmidt, 20, went shopping with Patalsky’s mother. Patalsky told investigators that he looked in the baby’s room and saw her vomiting, Spear said.

Patalsky ran to a neighbor’s house for help, and the neighbor called 911, Spear said. The child was pronounced dead at the Antelope Valley Hospital Medical Center, authorities said.