A 29-year-old Lynnwood man has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with the beating death of a 16-year-old boy who reportedly was trying to kick drugs after having a baby daughter.

But police said the boy''s death on Wednesday followed a fight that may have been drug-related, and drugs were found in the home where the incident took place.

Paramedics were called to a home in the 4500 block of 172nd Place SW around 1:40 p.m. and found the unconscious 16-year-old inside with a skull fracture.

The victim, later identified as Jamie D. Leavitt, 16, was taken to Stevens Hospital, where has pronounced dead two hours later. Leavitt leaves behind a 10-month-old baby daughter.

Detectives interviewed a resident of the home, Robert J. Spillum, 29, who initially told them that Leavitt had shown up at the house, high on methamphetamine and out of control. Spillum said he grabbed Leavitt to stop him from injuring himself.

Spillum later told investigators he punched the boy because he tried to hug him. During the altercation that followed, Spillum said he punched Leavitt several times in the face and grabbed him by the throat, Lynnwood police said.

Police reports also say it also took Spillum more than three hours to call 911 after Leavitt started showing signs of an overdose.

Spillum was arrested and booked into Snohomish County Jail.

Police also interviewed Spillum''s mother and girlfriend, who were there at the time of the altercation.

Spillum''s mother said she saw her son holding Leavitt on the bed with his hand on his chin, according to police. The girlfriend told police that it was the mother who found the 16-year-old unconscious on the bed.

Leavitt''s mother, Kerrie Leavitt, said her son had known Spillum for some time, and her son told her they used to do drugs together. But Leavitt had ben trying to quit.

"He was doing really good. He was going through counseling, and he was going to meetings to help get himself better," said Kerrie Leavitt. "He was doing very good, and I was very proud of him."

"I am angry with (Spillum) because he knows my son was trying to come clean," she added. "I just don''t know what happened ... if my son did use drugs then."

More details will be released as they become available.