Foster father charged for death

COLUMBIA -- A 36-year-old Columbia man has been charged with homicide by child abuse in the death of his 2-year-old foster daughter.

Nathaniel Mitchell initially had been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill, but those charges were upgraded when Passion Gardner died Friday morning at Palmetto Richland Children's Hospital. She had been taken to the hospital because of injuries received Tuesday.

The state Department of Social Services is investigating the case because Passion and two of her siblings had been placed in the home by DSS and were being adopted by the Mitchells, agency Director Elizabeth Patterson said.

The other children, a 3-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, have been removed from the home.