Meridian man accused of killing child

Bond has been denied for a man charged with capital murder in the death of a 3-year-old child in Meridian.

Meridian police arrested Joshua Salovich Saturday and initially charged him with felony child abuse.

Detectives say Joshua Salovich confessed to hitting the child with a bamboo rod and phone cord as hard as possible.

“As far as the Meridian Police Department is concerned, this is the first call or report that we’ve had on this particular infant and this individual,” Meridian Police Chief Benny Dubose says.

In court, it was revealed that 25-year-old Josh Salovich was teaching numbers to three-year-old Bailey Salovich. Police say Joshua explained the three-year-old was not getting them correct and that’s when he began hitting her as punishment.

Detectives testify the child went to the bathroom on herself after being hit and that Salovich began using weapons to punish her for that. The mother of the child was said to be in another room with the door closed and the TV on at the time of the incident.

Investigators say the child had bleeding in the brain, a detached retina, blood in her lungs and marks on her body. Police say multiple interviews were conducted with Salovich and he confessed in each one of them.

“If the mother had been present in the same room when this incident occurred, or has knowledge that it was occurring, then there may have been charges,” Dubose says.

Salovich is not the biological father to the child, but is on the birth certificate, according to detectives. Chief Dubose says the law clearly defines the differences between discipline and abuse. Salovich showed slight signs of remorse.

"According to investigators he did indicate a little remorse. Whether it was genuine or not, I don't know," Dubose says.

As family members were leaving court the mother of the deceased 3-year-old fainted and was taken away by ambulance to a local hospital. Also in court, it came up that Josh Salovich was a boxer in training. An autopsy has not yet been performed on 3-year-old Bailey Salovich. Bond has been denied and Josh Salovich will remain in jail.