Search for 6-month-old ends with infant dying and now its dad is in jail, SC cops say

A 6-month-old died and the infant’s biological father is in jail, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

At about midnight, deputies responded to a 911 call about a domestic incident in the Prosperity area, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Responding deputies discovered that Colie Dawkins, the baby’s biological father, had been allowed to take the 6-month-old to Dawkins’ residence in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, the sheriff’s office said.

Sometime after leaving the Prosperity area, Dawkins called the infant’s mother and began to berate her and made threats to harm the child, according to the release.

Deputies issued a lookout for Dawkins and his white Toyota Prius, and contacted the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for assistance, the sheriff’s office said.

At about 2 a.m., a deputy spotted the Prius at a convenience store on S.C. 34 at Interstate 26, and saw Dawkins in the driver’s seat and an unrestrained infant in a child seat, according to the release.

The infant was unresponsive, the sheriff’s office said.

Newberry County EMS was called and the infant was taken to Newberry County Memorial Hospital, where life saving methods were attempted but unsuccessful, according to the release.

No cause of death has been released by the Newberry County Coroner’s Office, and an autopsy will be performed, the sheriff’s office said.

Dawkins, whose last known address is in Lyman, South Carolina, was arrested and is being held in the Newberry County Detention Center, according to the release.

The 38-year-old was charged with unlawful conduct to a child, in addition to traffic crimes for violating the habitual offender act, a child passenger restraint violation, driving under suspension, transporting alcohol in a motor vehicle with seal broken, and he’s also being held for another agency, jail records show. No bond has been set on the charges, according to jail records.

Dawkins could face more charges, and the incident continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office, the coroner’s office and SLED’s Child Fatality Unit.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.