Mesa man arrested in beating of 4-year-old daughter

MESA, AZ - Police said a Mesa man has been arrested for beating his 4-year-old daughter in what detectives are calling one of the worst abuse cases they've ever seen.

George Kuykendall, 31, has been charged with three counts of child abuse, according to court records.

Mesa Police Sgt. Ed Wessing said the girl was beaten multiple times on Friday and Saturday with a coiled power cord.

Pictures shown to ABC15 reveal that the girl had cuts, bruises, welts and blood over her entire body.

"This was not just a whipping," Wessing said. "This was a beating."

The father's live in girlfriend was present during one of the beatings, police said. She is under investigation but has not been arrested.

The girlfriend and Kuykendall have a history of domestic violence, court records show.

In fact, she called police to their apartment Sunday morning because he kicked her out. At no point did she tell officers that the little girl had been abused, police said.

The girl was not taken for medical care until Sunday. That's when other family members saw the girl and took her to the Cardon Children's Hospital in Mesa.

Hospital staff then notified police.

"She was covered in blood with bruising all over her body," Wessing said. "This is probably the worst we've seen in a child abuse case where the child survived."

The 4-year-old remains in the hospital and is reportedly expected to be alright.