Father Arrested on Suspicion of Drowning his Daughter Inside Church

A California man was arrested after his 4-year-old daughter died in a suspicious drowning incident.

According to reports, Gerardo Mendoza, 42, was found naked outside of a local police station, screaming for help. In his hands, was his fully clothed, soaking wet, daughter. Apparently, Mendoza, his daughter and his partially clothed 9-year-old son, had just been at Healdsburg’s St. John the Baptist Catholic Church prior to their arrival at the station.

The little girl was taken to the hospital where she died. Sources say, an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death. However, officials believe the little girl drowned in the church’s baptismal pool. The church is reportedly always left unlocked and inside the sanctuary there is a baptismal pool that is at least a foot deep, reports state.

“Sunday night there was a tragedy in the church; a little girl lost her life,” the pastor of the church said in a statement. “When police finish the investigation we will know more. In the meantime, please pray for the family, and the parish community.”