Two people from Northeast Ohio are being charged with the death of their 11-month-old son because they reportedly failed to feed and care for him.
Canton Police Lt. Dennis Garren says that when police and firefighters got to the 1600 block of 10th St. NE on June 25, they found the baby not breathing. The child was taken to the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, but he did not make it.
Records from Canton Municipal Court show that the parents, Eric Rush, 26, and Tyasia Singleton, 30, were arrested that same day on charges of allowing child abuse and putting the child in danger. There is also a charge of domestic abuse against Singleton.
A second child, a 1-year-old, was also found in the house and taken into government care.
The criminal complaint says Singleton broke a deal with Child Protective Services when she left the 11-month-old baby with Rush.
The cops say Rush didn’t show any emotion during the incident and just wanted to “keep playing Xbox.”
It also says that Rush’s home has two live guns that are “within easy access to children.”
The lawsuit says that between February 1 and June 25, both Rush and Singleton “purposely and with forethought” ignored the baby’s needs for food.
When cops talked to Singleton at the hospital, they found out that the child had been “dying slowly” for a few months. She was worried about the child’s weight because he couldn’t keep food down.
Cleveland19 reported that the mother stated that she had not gotten medical help even though she was worried.
When the police looked into it, they found that the only food in the house was rice cereal. Singleton said that the baby hadn’t had formula in a few days and that they were giving the child cereal with water.
The two were charged by a judge on Thursday, June 27. There is a $1 million bond on each parent.