In Tennessee, a 22-year-old man, Anthony D. Andrews, was arrested this week in connection with the tragic death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old son.
The horrifying incident involved the child being fatally beaten with a dog toy, leading to Andrews facing charges of aggravated child abuse and aggravated neglect of a child.
The distressing events unfolded when Memphis Police Department officers and emergency medical personnel from the Memphis Fire Department responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive 2-year-old boy at a residence on Margot Street, in the 2600 block, just before 6 a.m. on Monday.
Upon their arrival, first responders encountered a grim scene.
The toddler was found "not breathing and bleeding from the mouth, with bruising on the abdomen, sides, and back, as well as a long bruise on the right side of his face that went from the forehead area to the lower jaw," according to police statements.
Efforts were made to resuscitate the young victim at the scene, and he was rushed to a local hospital. Tragically, the child succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
During the investigation, the victim's mother and her boyfriend, Anthony Andrews, were identified as residents of the Margot Street home.
The mother informed investigators that she had last seen her child in good health at around 11:15 p.m. the previous evening, having left him in Andrews' care while she slept.
Disturbingly, the mother revealed that she was aware of Andrews disciplining her child and had witnessed him using a belt or a braided dog toy to strike the child as a form of discipline.
She had also noticed increased bruising and wounds on her child but had been told by Andrews that the injuries were the result of the child falling out of bed.
Subsequently, Andrews was interviewed by investigators after being informed of his Miranda rights.
During the interview, he admitted to hitting the child with a belt "harder than he should have" a few weeks prior to the tragic incident.
Additionally, Andrews confessed to striking the child 7 to 8 times with a braided dog toy on the morning of September 4, 2023, targeting the child's back, face, and buttocks.
He also admitted to striking the child with an open hand in the chest at least once or twice before forcing the child into a corner.
Following the alleged assault, Andrews claimed that he placed the toddler back in bed.
However, a few minutes later, he discovered the child had fallen from the bed, at which point he realized the child was unresponsive and immediately called 911.
Anthony Andrews is currently held at the Shelby County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court before Judge William B. Anderson on September 7, according to available records.
In another news, a man has been arrested for the shocking murder of his teenage son. See detailed story here.
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