Man charged with murder of 4-year-old girl found at Raleigh hotel

Update: “911 caller: Girl hit head at Raleigh motel before she died. Man charged with murder.”

Police have arrested and charged a man with murder after a 4-year-old girl found injured at a hotel in Raleigh died Sunday.

Officers responded to a call on Lead Mine Road, near North Hills Drive, around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the Raleigh Police Department said in a news release.

There they discovered the girl suffering from severe injuries. She was taken to the hospital but did not survive, according to the release.

The child was found at the Candlewood Suites hotel at 4433 Lead Mine Road, according to the police report.

Milton Ray Horton Jr., 27, was arrested and charged with murder.

Police Capt. Kevin Lillis said Horton and the child were not related by blood but did know each other. He said the department was not yet able to clarify the exact nature of their relationship.

Lillis said Horton and the child had been at the hotel for about two weeks.

Horton was previously convicted of felony breaking and entering and misdemeanor assault of a female in Wake County in 2018, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety offender database.

If you suspect a child is being abused or died from maltreatment, state law requires you to report that information to the local county Department of Social Services. For help recognizing child abuse as well as resources for parents go to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services website.

This story was originally published April 25, 2021 at 9:09 AM.