Police: Charges against boyfriend to be amended after toddler’s death

In the wake of 17-month-old Grace Harris’ death, criminal charges against her mother’s boyfriend will be amended to murder, police said Monday.

Grace was pronounced dead on Saturday morning, five days after police responded to a 911 call that she had fallen.

When emergency crews arrived in the 5100 block of South Meridian on Monday, they were told the fall had occurred 30 minutes before the call, police have said.

The child had multiple bruises and other internal injuries. Doctors at the hospital said she was also suffering from a brain bleed, police said.

The girl was being watched by her mother’s 21-year-old boyfriend while her mother was at work. The boyfriend, Michael C. Ross, was arrested and later charged with two counts of child abuse and two counts of aggravated battery. He was being held on $100,000 bond.

Grace’s death is the third child abuse homicide of 2015 in Wichita, Wichita police Lt. Todd Ojile said.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Police: Charges against boyfriend to be amended after toddler’s death."