4-year-old homicide victim beaten by dad for not being potty trained, Indiana cops say

A 4-year-old boy was found dead Monday with bruises all over his body — the result of a series of punishments from his father for not being potty trained, Indiana police say.

The shocking discovery led to a manhunt for his 28-year-old dad, who police say is responsible for his son’s death. His father, whom McClatchy News is declining to identify to protect the identity of his child, was arrested within hours of the investigation beginning Monday morning.

Deputies with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office in northwest Indiana were dispatched to the family’s Hamlet home for reports of an unconscious 4-year-old boy, according to a probable cause affidavit. While a deputy was traveling to the home, a second 911 call was placed by the boy’s mother, who said the boy’s father “had lost his temper and hurt the child,” the sheriff’s office said.

A deputy found the boy naked in a bed, covered in a blanket with bruises throughout his body, including on his face and head, authorities said.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. A coroner’s report revealed he died from blunt force head trauma, according to court documents.

Three other children inside the home — the oldest 7 years old — were taken to an ambulance for examination.

As detectives began their investigation, they said they found the home’s exterior was littered with garbage and the inside was covered in “clothing, garbage, rotting food and animal fecal matter.” A strong smell of urine and rotting food was also reported inside the home.

An “extremely malnourished” dog was found in a crate that contained matted down hair along with urine and fecal matter, according to court documents.

The basement of the home gave detectives more grim discoveries and shed light on the abuse the 4-year-old allegedly suffered. It was “cold and dark with no working lights,” court documents show, and the boy’s mother later said it was done purposefully by her husband as a scare tactic.

Along the floor were pieces of duct tape, which the boy’s father used to bind his child, the mother reportedly told detectives. The basement also contained an infant-style toilet with urine and feces in it, authorities said, as well as a toddler-sized pair of sweatpants soaked in urine.

The boy was kept in the basement by his father as punishment for not being potty trained like his siblings, according to the affidavit, which said the young child often spent days at a time in the basement, only being given a blanket.

Sometimes, the 4-year-old boy was sent downstairs naked, and if he refused, his father “would grab him by the neck and forcibly carry him down there,” detectives said. Food was also withheld from the young boy, according to the affidavit.

Court documents say the boy suffered physical abuse from his father, which the boy’s mother said she was aware of. She admitted to detectives “she was afraid of (the boy’s father) and could not stop him,” often unsuccessfully telling her husband “that’s enough” or “leave him alone” as the punishment continued, according to court documents.

The boy’s oldest sibling also testified that he witnessed his father physically abusing his brother and binding him with duct tape around his ankles and hands, court documents show. The sibling also said their mother would take the 4-year-old to the basement, but she denied ever abusing him.

The last time the mother saw the boy before he was discovered unconscious was Saturday when she went to the hospital to give birth, according to the affidavit. She told detectives “she could’ve put a stop to (the abuse) but didn’t,” according to the court records.

At 7:30 a.m. Monday, about five hours after the investigation began, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance footage showing a minivan the boy’s father was believed to have been driving. The sheriff requested the public’s assistance in finding the father and his arrest was announced within three hours.

The man was charged with murder, five counts of neglect of a dependent and one count of cruelty to an animal. He is being held in the La Porte County Jail “without the possibility of posting bond,” the sheriff’s office said.

Wednesday, the boy’s 26-year-old mother was arrested in connection to his death. She was charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent, cruelty to an animal and failure to report, the sheriff’s office announced.

This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 10:45 AM with the headline "4-year-old homicide victim beaten by dad for not being potty trained, Indiana cops say."