PD: Man smokes Spice, severely injures baby daughter - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

It's a terrible case of child abuse -- an 18-month-old girl beaten so badly she almost died. And the attacker, police say, was her own father.

The child's father told police he was "high on Spice" when he beat his little girl. The 18-month-old is in the intensive care unit, and the details her dad told police are very disturbing.

Police say 29- year-old Jesse Miller made two phone calls after finding his daughter nearly beaten to death inside his apartment.

He called 911 and the child's mother, and told both that he was the one responsible. According to court paperwork, doctors at Phoenix Children's Hospital saw bruises on the child's face, dried blood in her nose, she had swollen lips.

Police say Miller also had fresh wounds on his hands.

His friend Reuben Pena-Puig Sr. was surprised to hear Miller had been using drugs.

"It's a big shock. Jesse is a really good guy, he's always been about his daughter, he stays home watches her while his girlfriend works," said Pena-Puig.

"Whenever he takes out his trash he takes his daughter with him. He doesn't leave her alone."

Police say Miller was alone at his apartment with his daughter. While he was smoking Spice in the bathroom, she was in front of the television.

Police say Miller told them he blacked out after smoking Spice -- that he was "out of it" and that "his soul left his body." When he came to, his baby was "screaming" and "bleeding."

His friend says this never would've happened, had Miller not been on Spice.

"Spice is nothing to play with. I've tried it before and I hallucinated from it so you don't want it," said Pena-Puig.

And since Spice is a synthetic drug, many of the compounds used in it are illegal here in Arizona.

The little girl remains in the intensive care unit in stable but critical condition. Her father was charged with one count of child abuse.

Bond was set at $45,000.