Father of 2-year-old girl found dead in Brays Bayou speaks

Houston police are continuing to look for answers in the death of 2-year-old Maliyah Bass after the medical examiner confirmed Sunday that remains found in Brays Bayou were hers.

Police say they do suspect foul play in the death of the toddler from Alief, but so far no suspects have been identified.

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The victim’s father is speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with FOX 26.

“All I could do while I was at work was just break down and cry because it hurt me so hard,” said Octavious Bass, recalling the moment he learned his daughter was missing while in the care of the child’s mother and her new boyfriend.

It has now been eight days since Maliyah’s tiny body was found in Braes Bayou. Houston police are still looking for answers as to how the little girl died.

RELATED: Piecing together what happened to two-year-old Maliyah Bass

“Who in their right state of mind would do something to a 2-year-old?” asked Bass, who lives in Dallas. “She doesn’t harm nobody. She’s loving. Everybody loves her.”

Maliyah’s mother does not want to speak with reporters at this time. according to the victim’s grandmother Rosalie Jimerson, who spoke for her daughter. Jimerson says Maliyah was in the apartment complex courtyard with her mom when mom stepped away for a few minutes. Jimerson says when mom returned, Maliyah was gone.

RELATED: Mother of missing 2-year-old fearing the worst as a child was found floating in Brays Bayou

Jimerson says she checks in with her daughter--Maliyah’s mom--often.

“I tell her I love her,” said Jimerson. “I tell her I’m checking on her. I tell her to be safe. She says she is safe. Sometimes we cry, but she’s not saying anything about the case.”

As for Maliyah’s dad, he says he’s unable to get ahold of his daughter’s mother.

“I tried to call,” said Bass. “She won’t answer my calls…. When she went missing, she didn’t try to call me. She didn’t try to text me—let me know that she was missing or anything. The only person that called was the detective, and the detective said that she said she called me, but she didn’t call me.”

The medical examiner’s office has not announced a cause of death, and police are not naming any suspects or potential cause of death for the two-year-old at this time.

If members of the public have any details that could help detectives solve this case, they can call Crime Stoppers and leave an anonymous tip at 713-222-TIPS.