Minnesota Toddler Clings To Life After Beating By Mother’s Boyfriend
A Minnesota toddler who was beaten by his mother’s boyfriend and left to lie in a pool of his own blood for seven hours will soon be taken off life support.
The man who beat him, 31-year-old Jonathan Michael Loun, was criminally charged with assaulting the three-year-old toddler and awaits trial on $2 million bail, according to the Star Tribune.
Loun is charged with viciously attacking three-year-old Dante Sears after the toddler peed on him while he was changing his diaper. Loun then left the toddler in the apartment with his seven-year-old brother where it waited for seven hours to receive medical care.
Badly beaten little Dante Sears near death; charges say suspect snapped cuz boy peed on him. http://t.co/KDTlCLgIhp pic.twitter.com/KZsqiKXUVp
— Paul Walsh (@walshpj) August 28, 2015
When his mom came home from work, she found the toddler unconscious and bloody in his crib.
The Duluth News Tribune obtained a copy of a note left behind by the boyfriend.
“I snapped. I banged his head on the floor. He’s not ok. I’m so sorry, I stayed up icing his head…. I’m sorry I love you, I’m done with life all I do is hurt people.”
The mother showed police a series of text messages between her and Loun reassuring her the boy was okay.
Police found blood on the ceiling, in a diaper, on a shirt, and on a towel. Doctors said the injuries were consistent with severe and extreme child abuse.
The three-year-old was rushed to a local hospital and then airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis where he was diagnosed with a skull fracture along with injuries to his brain, neck, and penis.
Doctors said the delay in medical treatment made the child’s brain injury worse.
On Saturday, four yr old Dante will be taken off life support and become a hero in another child's life! http://t.co/i0HErS3lw8 @GiveForward
— mary01961 (@mary01961) August 28, 2015
The family started a GiveForward account to help with medical bills and funeral costs.
The family will take Dante Sears off life support Saturday after making arrangements for him to be an organ donor. His family planned to take him off life support on Thursday, his third birthday, but held off to make arrangements.
“Medically there is nothing else the doctors can do for brave little Dante. The family will be celebrating his birthday with him, then taking him off life support. He will then spend the rest of his birthday in heaven.”
Police found Loun in a wooded area with non-life threatening knife wounds. He faces felony charges of first-degree assault, malicious punishment of a child, and third degree assault and is facing 20 years in prison.
[Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images]
