A 38-year-old man pleaded not guilty at Circuit Court today to attempted murder involving his 16-month old daughter who suffered life-threatening injuries.

Christian Mikaele appeared before Judge Colette Garibaldi via closed-circuit video link from the Oahu Community Correctional Center after an Oahu grand jury returned an indictment last week charging him with second-degree attempted murder.

During his arraignment, a deputy public defender pleaded not guilty on Mikaele’s behalf. Garibaldi confirmed his bail at $500,000 and set his trial for March.

Shortly after midnight on Jan. 11, police responded to a dropped emergency call at a Halona Road residence in Waianae.

Police said the toddler sustained injuries while in Mikaele’s care. According to court documents, she had bruising at the top of her head and was transported to Queen’s Medical Center-West Oahu in critical condition.

Officers arrested Mikaele on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder after they found him hiding inside of a storage area on the property.