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Officer who found child dead in car initially thought she was a toy instead of human baby

Authorities are still trying to determine how baby Ayla Reeves died.
Cameron Reese

MERIWETHER COUNTY, Ga. -- A 22-year-old father is facing charges after his 10-month-old daughter was found dead in a car during a traffic stop in Greenville.

Cameron Ramon Reese with aggravated assault and concealing the death of another. Authorities are still trying to determine how baby Ayla Reeves died.

According to Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Reese contacted Ayla's mother and told her she wasn't breathing. When she arrived, they got in the car. GBI said the mother became suspicious because there was a mark underneath Ayla's eye. When she questioned Reese about it, authorities said he pulled out a steak knife. The mother was able to jump out of the car; she stained a severe road rash.

Officer Hines said he was on-duty, checking for speeding drivers. Finding a dead baby in Reese's back seat was the last thing he ever expected Wednesday. Reese was behind the wheel of a speeding car, authorities said.

"It was traveling at 57 miles per hour inside of a 35," Hines said.

RELATED | 10-month-old found dead during traffic stop in Meriwether County

Cameron Reese

After a short pursuit, Hines said Reese jumped out and ran away from the scene. When the officer inspected the vehicle, he discovered the child.

"Originally, when I first saw the child, because I was on the opposite side, I thought it might have been a doll of some sort. It was only after I went to that side and opened the door I realized it was a human child," he said.

Hines said she was lying on the floor.

"I was actually hoping that it was a doll or some type of child's toy rather than a actual human baby," he described. "In the 28 years I've been doing this, it was one of the most unexpected."

Paramedics tried to revive baby Ayla, and detectives used K-9s to track Reese. They found him at his apartment complex on North Depot Street and took him into custody. Neighbors said multiple police cars surrounded the area.

"We were barely able to get into the apartment complex because it was so many cars out here," said Steven Dawson.

Law enforcement found Reese hiding in a storage close on the balcony of the unit.

The GBI is investigating and will decide if police body camera video will be released.

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