Police investigating the murder of a Tauranga toddler have searched the home of a man living nearby who is on bail facing a murder charge.
The 2-year-old - named only as Aliyah by a neighbour - died in Auckland's Starship hospital on Thursday night after suffering massive injuries in an assault.
Police searched the home the little girl shared with her mother, a man and her two brothers, and the home of a man who lives close by.
The man is on bail after pleading not guilty to a murder this year. His trial is due to start next year.
Child, Youth and Family's midlands regional director, Geoff Williams, confirmed that Aliyah's two brothers, aged about 7 and 4, had been taken into the care of a family member, and children at the man's home had been placed with approved caregivers.
Aliyah's mother is understood to have befriended the man's partner and the two families spent time together.
A source, whom the Weekend Herald agreed not to name, said the little girl's mother often took her daughter and two sons to the man's home, where they played with the children who lived there.
"The mother spends a lot of time there because she is friendly with his wife or girlfriend."
The source said the children at the man's home were lovely and well mannered and they all seemed to play together well.
The man had been remanded in custody after a depositions hearing on the murder charge but was later granted bail.
While the man was in custody his partner moved into the street and the source said she seemed to be lonely.
The little girl's mother, who had lived in the street for about two years, befriended her.
The girl was found unconscious when paramedics were called on Tuesday.
An autopsy was carried out yesterday but the officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, said it would be two to three weeks before police were in a position to make an arrest.
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