Toddler Brain Dead After 'Boxing Lesson'

http://www.justnews.com/news/24494038/detail.html

Toddler Brain Dead After 'Boxing Lesson'
Father Charged With Second-Degree Murder

POSTED: Tuesday, August 3, 2010
UPDATED: 4:40 pm EDT August 4, 2010

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- A 2-year-old has been declared brain dead after suffering severe head injuries, and his father told officers the child was injured as he tried to teach the boy to box, according to police.

The father, 23-year-old Lee Willie DeJesus, is being held without bond on charges of aggravated child abuse and child neglect.

In court Wednesday, a judge heard testimony that the child had been declared brain dead, although he is still on life support. If the child is pronounced dead, the charge against his father could be increased.

Homestead police were called to the family's apartment in the 300 block of Southwest Fourth Avenue in Homestead at 10:30 p.m. Monday after the 2-year-old boy was wounded.

The child was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition and was later declared brain dead.

According to the arrest form, the boy's father, 23-year-old Lee Willie DeJesus, initially told police that he had returned home to find his 2-year-old son unresponsive on a bed. DeJesus told police a baby sitter must have beaten the child, the form said.

After being taken to the Police Department, investigators said DeJesus admitted that he lied about there being a baby sitter.

The arrest form said DeJesus told officers that he was trying to teach the boy how to box. Police said DeJesus put on 16-ounce boxing gloves and punched the child about 15 times in his face, torso, head and shoulders over the course of about 15 minutes.

According to police, DeJesus said the child hit his head on a wall and on a tile floor when he fell off a bed.

The child became unresponsive, and police said DeJesus told them that he waited 30 to 60 minutes before calling for medical help.

Neighbors said the boy always appeared to be happy and well cared for, but that the parents seemed to have a turbulent relationship. One neighbor said the husband and wife often fought loudly in the middle of the night.

According to the neighbor, the mother often worked until midnight. It is unclear whether she was home when her son was injured.

DeJesus was booked into a Miami-Dade County Jail Tuesday afternoon and is being held without bond.

Awesome.

When will Obama regulate parenting?

[Harry]

I'm pretty sure child abuse and murder are already regulated.

[General Apathy]

fry him

[Hugh Jass]

I hate hearing about little kids dying

thanks a lot

[glassjaws]

Gee, it's so much more acceptable to have kids mangled in the name of football.

[Scars]

Originally Posted by glassjaws

Gee, it's so much more acceptable to have kids mangled in the name of football.

There's a big friggin difference between punching your kid teaching him to box and putting a bunch of pads on the kid and telling him to run around on a field, try not to get distracted by the pretty clouds, and hug other kids to the ground.

Get real man.

[Harry]

Originally Posted by jdog2345

yeah but lets talk about parenting. how many believe that we shouldnt even get to the point of murder/abuse, etc. w/o regulating the qualifications of being a parent.

simliar to the assumption nationalize HC will prevent disease, epidemics, etc.

not sure how you could quantify parental skills/qualifications but recent tragedy/events suggest we shouldnt wait to get to the point something bad occurring (casey anthony, Haleigh Cummings/misty croslin, etc.)

and if you are not legally parent, how can you care for a child??? ridiculous.
sorry but i am just pissed.

Yeah, we're all pissed that an ******* would do something like this. The problem is, you're using it as a way to be pissed at Obama. Take your meds.

[dlwktb]

Originally Posted by glassjaws

Gee, it's so much more acceptable to have kids mangled in the name of football.

I agree that it would be bad for a 2 year old to play football with grown men.

Originally Posted by jdog2345

Awesome.

When will Obama regulate parenting?

When you figure out a way to adequately define who is and who isn't capable of being a good parent, let us know.

That said, I do think that if you've demonstrated a complete inability to raise kids [by abuse or neglect], you should have the ability to have more children taken away.

This guy? I'm all in favor of making him a punching bag in prison; gloves are optional for those practicing on him.

[MightySchoop]

Originally Posted by Irish Blues

This guy? I'm all in favor of making him a punching bag in prison; gloves are optional for those practicing on him.

Nah, Gloves are required. Otherwise the other prisoners might hurt their hands while punching him in the face.