A Clark County Superior Court judge has set bail at $5 million for a 37-year-old man who's accused of killing his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter.
Ryan Burge faces allegations of second-degree murder and first-degree assault of a child in the death of Hartley Anderson. He appeared wearing a suicide-prevention smock, given to inmates who may try to harm themselves with standard jail clothing, and did not speak during the brief hearing.
During the court appearance, the girl's father rushed toward Burge but was stopped by corrections deputies and removed from the courtroom.
Vancouver police responded at 5 p.m. Friday at the Madison Park Apartments, 12901 N.E. 28th St., where emergency responders were treating the girl for severe head trauma, according to a police news release.
"The child had been in the care of her mother's boyfriend, Ryan Burge, that evening and initial information provided to officers was the child had injured herself while having a tantrum," the release says.
The child was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center then, because of the severity of her injuries, transferred to Randall Children's Hospital in Portland where she died, the release says. It does not say when she died.
Vancouver police subsequently arrested Burge.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the girl's funeral expenses and her family.
