Father Speaks After Toddler Dies From Alleged Abuse

A toddler who police said was abused by her dad’s girlfriend has died after fighting for her life for a month.

Melissa Alexander, 27, is accused of killing the girl and the charges against her have been upgraded to first-degree murder.

The baby’s father, Matthew Strickland, said there were no warning signs that Alexander would ever be violent with his one-year-old daughter, Jocilynn.

“There were no signs, no red flags,” said Strickland. “Everybody has their little imperfections, but she was a good mom.”

Alexander was watching Jocilynn, along with her own son, at Union Heights Apartments while Strickland was in Louisiana for military training at Fort Polk. Police said Alexander called them on November 9th saying Jocilynn had stopped breathing.

Alexander was arrested the next day. Police said she told them conflicting stories, but eventually admitted to dropping the baby twice and throwing a sippy cup at her nearly as hard as she could. Jocilynn died Friday.

“She was a happy baby,” said Alexander. “She meant so much to so many people, and now that she’s gone, everybody’s happiness turned into sorrow.”

Neighbors said Alexander had advertised her babysitting services around the complex.

“There was multiple posters all over the place with, ‘I watch children,'” said Steven Staton. “There were little tabs so you could pull her number off.”

Some had seen her with the children she was watching.

“There was a few of them that looked maybe one or two years old,” said Kimberly Masten. “So it might have been that little girl, which is scary.”

Alexander’s friend told KRDO Newschannel 13 that Alexander had been caring for Jocilynn, her own young son, and a neighbor’s child.

“She told me she wanted to get a regular job because being home and taking care of kids wasn’t her thing,” said the friend, who didn’t want to be named.

She said Alexander seemed “frustrated” in the days before Jocilynn got hurt.

Strickland said he’s hoping for justice for his daughter. The court hasn’t allowed him to talk to Alexander.

“I know she did it, but just to hear it from her instead of everybody else would make it a lot easier on me,” he said.

Alexander is being held in the El Paso County Jail without bond.

Jocilynn’s death is the record setting 30th homicide for the year in Colorado Springs. The prior record was 28 homicides in 2007 and 1991.