Young man kills his girlfriend’s toddler son after hitting him hard “seven to eight times” with a puppy toy while he was supposed to take care of the boy alone because the mother was tired and went to bed early
Earlier this month, the police responded to a 911 call and found an unresponsive little boy with injuries all over the body. The boy, who was in critical condition when first responders arrived at the residence, was transferred to the hospital for treatment, where he was shortly after pronounced dead. The investigation has so far shown that a young man, his mother’s boyfriend, had beaten the toddler earlier that day to an extent that ultimately led to his death. The suspect has been held in jail, but more charges are possible as the case continues to develop.
According to police, the main suspect in the case, identified as 22-year-old Anthony, had beaten the boy multiple times prior to the fatal day. The victim’s mother noticed some injuries on the boy’s body in the weeks prior to the incident, but she took no action to prevent them. On one occasion, the mother asked her boyfriend about the injuries the boy had all over his body, and Andrew simply responded that the 2-year-old had “fallen out of bed.”
Police and paramedics responded to the family’s Tenn. residence earlier this month about a toddler who was found unresponsive. The boy was given life-saving measures as paramedics immediately noticed injuries all over the toddler’s body. He was transferred to the hospital for treatment, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Meanwhile, police questioned the mother and her boyfriend, Andrew, the main suspect in the toddler’s death.
Investigators learned that on previous occasions, Andrew had beaten the boy with dog toys or belts in an effort to “discipline” him. Andrew initially denied the accusations but later confessed to beating the toddler multiple times and allegedly admitting hitting him “harder than [he] should” with a belt on multiple occasions. The night before the fatal day, Andrew was watching over the boy as the mother went to bed before midnight because she was tired. A few hours later, in the early morning hours the next day, Andrew confessed to striking the two-year-old “seven to eight times” with a puppy toy in the back, face, and buttocks. Then he put the boy in bed. A few minutes later, the boy fell off the bed, and when Andrew approached, he was unresponsive.
The suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect, officials said. He is being held on a $250,000 bond. Speaking to a local TV station, the suspect’s sister said that her brother loved the child, and until she sees the autopsy report for herself, she won’t believe her brother “beat that boy to death”.
