By Mara H. Gottfried

St. Paul Pioneer Press

MAPLEWOOD — The toddler who was beaten to death in Maplewood last week had been “just a normal, happy baby,” a family friend said Sunday.

“It’s terrible; I’m just speechless,” Amy Thao said. “She shouldn’t have to go through what she did.”

Genesis Xiong, who was 17 months old, was found dead Thursday, when Maplewood police responded about 11 a.m. to a report of a baby not breathing in the 2500 block of North Barclay Street.

The Ramsey County attorney’s office charged Leb Mike Meak, the boyfriend of Genesis’ mother, with second-degree murder Friday.

Amy Thao, a friend of Genesis’ mother, started a GoFundMe site to raise money for the girl’s funeral. Thao lives in California and last saw the girl, whose nickname was Gena, during the summer.

Genesis’ mother, Lia Lee, and Meak were together for about a year, though Lee’s friends had known Meak for the past few years and didn’t see signs of trouble.