Khaliq Woods, 23, is also charged with aggravated assault, battery and cruelty to children in connection with the incident, jail records show.
Police started investigating after Woods took the girl to Northside Duluth Hospital on Saturday morning, according to an incident report.
Officers said Woods had been watching the child at his home in the 4100 block of Plantation Trace since about 1 p.m. the day before, the report said. Woods told police he had been playing with her "by throwing her up in the air and catching her."
Woods put the baby in his bed about 10 p.m. and when he checked on her at 2 a.m., “It seemed like the baby had difficulty breathing,” the report said.
Woods later told police he had tried to feed the girl, but she wouldn’t take a bottle or pacifier, the incident report said. Woods said the baby “wasn’t moving normal like kids do ... and he assumed the baby was just tired,” according to investigators.
About three hours later, at 5 a.m., Woods took the baby to the hospital.
"Upon arrival, the nurses and doctor determined the baby was already deceased," the report said.
A nurse told police the baby had bruising on her torso and arms that seemed to be recent. A detective said the baby was cold to the touch when Woods brought her in.
“Due to the significant bruising and death of the infant, Mr. Woods was arrested and charged with murder,” Duluth Polioce Department spokesman Officer Ted Sadowski said.
The cause of death is unclear.
Investigators said Woods and the girl's mother were recently separated and he had been seeing another woman. The mother told investigators she had left the baby with Woods for the weekend.
Woods was booked Saturday into the Gwinnett County jail, where he remains.
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