A 2-year-old Palmdale boy was clinging to life after being severely beaten and his father remained in custody, authorities said. The boy was in critical but stable condition today, Deputy Ed Hernandez of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said early this morning reports the Daily News.

The child’s parents are separated, and the boy had been visiting his father, Traveion Deshawn Taylor, 23, at a Palmdale apartment in the 38000 block of 20th Street East when Taylor called the boy’s mother Friday to say something was wrong with the toddler, CBS2 reported.

“The father said the baby was acting lethargic — he was acting like he was sick,” Sheriff’s Lt. Ken Wright told CBS2. “He wasn’t sure what was wrong, so the mother went over to check on the baby. She said that when she got there the child appeared to be having difficulty breathing.”

Read it here: Toddler beaten in Palmdale; father in custody