chris mcnabb
Chris McNabb has been named as a 'person of interest' after the remains of his daughter Caliyah was discovered in Georgia, US. Police handout / Family handout

A father is in custody after his 15-day-old daughter's remains were discovered dumped in woods close to the trailer park where they were living.

Chris McNabb, from Newton County, Georgia, was arrested after allegedly trying to flee when he was told that his daughter Caliyah's remains were discovered behind the Eagle Point Trailer Park on Sunday (8 October).

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McNabb and his girlfriend, Courtney Bell, reported that their daughter had gone missing the day before reportedly telling police they last saw her when they fed her at 5am.

The emergency call was made at 10am, reported Fox News, with police issuing a search warrant for their home, and a search party combing the woods nearby.

Volunteers found the child wrapped in a blue cloth and positioned under a log close to the trailer park and according to WSBTV, police deemed the disappearance as "suspicious" and investigated the incident as a homicide.

"A fifteen-day-old child obviously didn't leave by themselves," Newton County Sheriff's Dept. Capt. Keith Crum said.

When Caliyah's remains were found McNabb, was named a person of interest, and upon being told about the macabre discovery, he allegedly fled.

Crum said McNabb was in his girlfriend's car when he found out the news and leapt out at the intersection of Highway 36 and Covington By-Pass Road and ran away.

Police then launched a manhunt for McNabb and eventually tracked him down to a service station car wash where he was arrested and detained on a probation violation.

McNabb as not yet been charged with any crime and Bell - who has given a police interview - has not been named as a person of interest.

Cailyah's grandfather, Tim Bell, said to WYFF News: "From the first time you pick them up, there's love there. That love is broken. It hurts like I have never hurt before.

"What would you tell whoever did it? That you're going to hell. That's where you're going. Killing a young one like that, something that little and tiny, defenseless, you are going to hell".

The child's body is currently being held at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation coroner's office where an autopsy is due to take place.