First, city police say, Lester Leringo Johnson balled up his fist and struck his live-in girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter so hard that her retina was split, making her blind in her right eye.

As the child fell to the floor, he kicked her repeatedly in the stomach, injuring internal organs.

Then he did nothing for 18 hours, police say.

Finally, at 3:10 a.m. Saturday, a 911 call was placed from inside the home at 534 E. Ross St., saying the girl had fallen.

But by then it was too late for Ranasia Ronae Alizae Knight. She was slipping in and out of consciousness when ambulance personnel reached her and was pronounced dead at Lancaster General Hospital a little over an hour later.

Monday night, police arrested the 30-year-old Johnson, also known as "Face," and charged him with murder, aggravated assault and three counts of endangering the welfare of children.

Johnson was arraigned Tuesday morning and was committed to Lancaster County Prison without bail.

"The victim can't speak for herself anymore. And that's going to be our job," said District Attorney Craig Stedman.

"We're going to be the victim's voice in the courtroom and we're going to make sure justice is done in this case because it's despicable," Stedman told reporters Tuesday morning at a press conference with city police, Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency and the Lancaster County Children's Alliance.

"What excuse is there for anybody to punch the kid in the head and then kick her three times in the torso when she's down? And then not to call emergency services afterwards?" Stedman said.

"I don't think we'd be going out on a limb to say she was suffering."

Stedman also vowed, "We are not done with this investigation." He said investigators would go back in time and interview witnesses who have come forward to see if anyone else should be charged.

The Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency has removed three other children in the house from the victim's mother, Jessica Bachman. Johnson was the biological father of some of them, but not of the victim, police said.

An autopsy on the girl, performed Monday morning by Dr. Wayne Ross, county forensic pathologist, determined that the child had died from multiple traumatic injuries. The death was ruled a homicide.

Both Johnson and the girl's mother were interviewed by city police detectives early Saturday morning and released. But the investigation continued throughout the weekend, Chief Keith Sadler said.

After the mother, Johnson and other witnesses were re-interviewed, Johnson was arrested at the police station Monday evening.

Ranasia Knight would have been 3 years old on April 25.

According to the police affidavit in the case, Johnson told police that he had struck Knight and kicked her when she fell.

Stedman was asked if the accused had given any reasoning for the alleged assault.

"I would never know how to describe the reasoning behind a crime like this," he replied.

"In 32 years, I still haven't figured it out."