The father of a Concord toddler has been charged with reckless second degree murder almost a year after her death.
Jocarl Bureau was arrested in Manchester late Friday night in connection with the death of 3-year-old Jayleah Bureau, according to Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeff Strelzin. He said Bureau would likely be arraigned on Monday.
Jayleah was found unresponsive when Concord police responded to an emergency call from 43 Canton Circle on March 15, 2016. At the time, Jayleah lived in the home with her mother and father. She was transported to Concord Hospital for treatment but was ultimately pronounced dead.
Her death was ruled a homicide in July after an autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
Bureau was arrested in September on several domestic violence and simple assault charges against Jayleah’s mother, his former girlfriend, as well as for violating his bail conditions in two other misdemeanor cases by possessing a firearm. Police said Bureau pushed his former girlfriend on multiple occasions, sometimes in front of Jayleah.
According to the affidavit stemming from his September arrest, Bureau is accused of separate incidents of assault. Bureau’s former girlfriend accused him of throwing a fork at her head, which she said she dodged. On another occasion, she accused him of grabbing her by the throat and pushing her onto the couch. She also accused him of pushing her onto the bedroom floor when she was pregnant with another child.
Bureau was previously convicted in February 2014 of “smacking” his former girlfriend in the face the previous November, according to Monitor archives.
The death of Jayleah shocked the community at Canton Circle, which is part of the Eagles Bluff condominium development. Born on Oct. 12, 2012 in Manchester, she was described in her obituary as loving Paw Patrol and Frozen.
“Jayleah’s big eyes and bright smile made her everybody’s ‘Little Princess,’ ” the obituary read.
Donna LeClair told the Monitor in July that she knew the family for years and recalled when the child’s grandmother lived just a few houses away. She said the two shared a passion for singing.
“I just can’t believe that someone killed her; it’s shocking,” LeClair said of the child in July. “It makes me cringe that someone could hurt a little girl like that. I thought it was an accident until today.”
(Alyssa Dandrea contributed to the report. Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)