A 41-year-old Placentia barber was charged Wednesday, Sep. 4 with torturing and killing a 6-year-old boy he was babysitting final month.
After ending his first-grade class on Aug. 29, the boy was dropped off round 6:30 p.m. at Ernest Lamar Love’s barbershop whereas his mom, a nurse’s assistant at St. Joseph’s Hospital, labored an evening shift. In some unspecified time in the future, the boy went to an area park earlier than video surveillance confirmed he returned to the barbershop later that night with Love, the Orange County District Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned.
The boy appeared to reluctantly comply with Love into the store, because the 41-year-old man carried a big piece of lumber in with him, surveillance footage confirmed.
Love is accused of beating the boy with the lumber piece earlier than pouring hydrogen peroxide on his open wounds and forcing him to do sit-ups, push-ups and leaping jacks earlier than the kid collapsed. He’s additionally accused of taking the boy to the CHOC emergency room as a substitute of calling 911.
At that time, the kid was unconscious and struggling to breath, the Orange County District Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned.
The little boy, who died from his accidents Tuesday, Sep. 3, suffered a subdural hematoma, excessive mind swelling, and extra accidents typical of violent shaking. Docs additionally discovered {that a} appreciable portion of flesh was lacking from the kid’s buttocks, abandoning uncooked, gaping wounds.
“Phrases don’t exist to explain absolutely the terror this little boy was compelled to endure – all by the hands of somebody who was presupposed to be defending him, not torturing him to demise. Now we as prosecutors will do every part we will to pursue justice … and be his protectors in demise that he did not have in life,” District Legal professional Todd Spitzer mentioned in an announcement.
Love, who’s presently being held with out bail, pleaded not responsible Wednesday to at least one felony depend of homicide, one felony depend of torture, and one felony depend of kid abuse inflicting demise. If convicted on all expenses, he faces a most sentence of 32 years to life, plus a further 5 years.
Particulars on how the mom knew Love and if he had beforehand been a babysitter for the kid weren’t launched.
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