Back in March 25, 2021, Matthew Ponomarenko, aged 34, dialed 911 from his residence in Parma, Ohio, confessing to the tragic killing of his son, Jax, aged 5. Released audio from cleveland.com recounts the dispatcher's shock at the admission.
Ponomarenko, citing hearing voices, couldn't explain why he committed the act. Recently, after over two years, he entered a guilty plea and received a life sentence in prison, becoming eligible for parole after 45 years, facing charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping, and endangering children.
Ponomarenko’s past actions had previously endangered Jax. He previously pleaded no contest to a 2017 child endangerment case in Cleveland, where he reportedly left his then 1-year-old son alone in a road, displaying erratic behavior under the influence of substances like meth and PCP, as per authorities.
Jax, described by his uncle Johnathan Cherni to WOIO in a March 26, 2021, report, was an autistic child who used a tablet to communicate. Cherni described the murder as an abrupt event. Ponomarenko, recently discharged from a behavioral health center and off medication, seemed normal earlier in the day.
The incident brought officers to Russell Avenue on March 25, where Ponomarenko was apprehended in the front yard. Inside the home, Jax was found in the living room, having suffered severe blunt force injuries to his head and face.
Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley condemned Ponomarenko's heinous act, stating, 'Matthew Ponomarenko brutally beat and killed his own son. With this sentence, I hope that the family can find a modicum of peace and solace. May Jax’s memory forever live in their hearts.'"
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