Sandy, Utah — A 29-year-old Utah man has pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated murder after prosecutors said he severely assaulted his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter during a confrontation over the child’s potty training.
Tyrel Belone was originally charged with attempted aggravated murder, aggravated child abuse and child torture in connection with the June 28, 2025, incident. Under a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the attempted aggravated murder charge, while the other two charges were dismissed, according to local reporting.
The child, identified in court documents as C.W., was found unresponsive but still breathing after Belone allegedly threw her onto a mattress and into a wall at the family’s Sandy home.
Child Was Found Unresponsive After Morning Attack
According to probable cause declarations, the incident happened shortly after 5:30 a.m. on June 28, 2025.
Belone told investigators that the girl had urinated and defecated inside the home. He reportedly picked her up and threw her onto a mattress, but she bounced off it and struck her head against a wall.
He then reportedly threw her again, with the child landing against the wall on the right side of her head and face.
Although Belone said the child was breathing, he acknowledged that she was “not really responding.”
The girl’s mother, Amber Leary, was preparing to leave for work when Belone reportedly told her that “they needed to fix this.” He then called his mother, who was a nurse practitioner, for assistance.
Leary later received a call from Belone telling her, “You need to come. I think C.W. needs to go to the hospital.” He reportedly provided little additional information and simply told her, “Just come home.”
Mother Described Daughter as “Dead With a Heartbeat”
When Leary returned home and saw her daughter, she described the toddler as “dead with a heartbeat.”
Belone’s mother reportedly asked to see the child through FaceTime. After seeing that the girl was unresponsive, she told them, “You have to take her to the hospital,” adding, “If you don’t take her, you will both go to jail.”
Sandy police officers arrived at the home and were directed to the basement, where they found the girl lying on her back.
According to authorities, the child did not appear conscious or alert. An officer could feel her breathing and detect a pulse, but she remained unresponsive.
Police also reported that the girl had “a greenish-blue color over her whole body” and appeared to be struggling to receive enough oxygen.
She was airlifted to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
Messages Allegedly Showed Escalating Frustration
Investigators said Belone had become increasingly frustrated with the girl’s potty training in the weeks before the attack. He reportedly told authorities that the child had “regressed” in her potty training and was removing her pants and defecating in a corner.
He also claimed that the girl had been combative and had bitten and scratched him.
According to messages included in the probable cause documents, however, Belone’s frustration allegedly went far beyond complaints about the child’s behavior.
On June 22, 2025, he reportedly texted Leary:
“I am going to murder her,” Several hours later, another message allegedly stated:
“I am going to crack her skull,”
In another message, Belone reportedly wrote:
“I’m finished with her, we can’t have a life together with her being like this, and now hearing her voice makes me want to kill her,”
When Leary returned home that night, the child reportedly had bruising around her eyes, swollen eyelids and a large bruise on the right side of her head.
Belone Previously Admitted Hitting the Child
Investigators also said Belone acknowledged previous physical abuse involving C.W.
He reportedly admitted to grabbing the girl by her hips and leaving bruises on her on multiple occasions, as well as hitting her “pretty hard.”
At the time of the incident, Belone was reportedly caring for the child during the early morning hours while Leary had recently started a new job.
Both adults worked in healthcare-related fields. Belone was a nurse, while Leary was a certified nursing assistant.
Mother Still Faces Charges
Leary, 30, was also charged with attempted aggravated murder, aggravated child abuse and child torture in connection with the case.
She has not yet entered a plea, according to the available court information.
Belone is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2. Leary’s request to speak during his sentencing was granted, and she is expected to be brought from jail to the courthouse for the proceeding before having her own hearing afterward.
The child’s current health condition has not been publicly disclosed.
The case has drawn attention to the serious allegations surrounding the treatment of a young child and the events that preceded the June 2025 attack.
What are your thoughts on this case? Share your reaction in the comments, while keeping the focus on the young child and the family affected by this tragedy.
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