A man who admitted to punching his 18-month-old stepson because the child had dropped food on the carpet was arrested Thursday, Fort Worth police said.
The child suffered serious internal abdominal injuries after Lawrence L. Parker punched him three times in the side, police said.
The child was immediately taken to surgery Thursday night at Cook Children's Hospital, but later died, authorities said.
Police said the child's mother had left the baby with Parker to run an errand.
He was arrested on a warrant for injury to a child with serious bodily injury and taken to the Fort Worth Jail. His bail was set at $25,000.