Houston man denies hurting girl, whose body found in closet

HOUSTON (AP) — A man who along with his girlfriend have been arrested in connection with the death of the woman's 5-year-old daughter — whose body was found in a Houston apartment closet — says he "never hurt the little girl."
Santiago Esparza Jr. tells KPRC-TV in a jailhouse interview he was at work when the girl, Sierra Patino, died.
Prosecutors allege Sierra's mother, 27-year-old Priscilla Torres, has given different accounts of what happened, including saying Esparza bathed