Octopus Found In 2-Year-Old Boy’s Throat, Man Arrested For Suspected Child Abuse
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In what can be best described as a bizarre incident, a 36-year-old man from Wichita, Kansas, has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after a small octopus was found stuck inside the 2-year-old child’s throat. According to CBS News, doctors found and later removed a small octopus that they say was lodged inside the throat of the child. The man has been identified as 36-year-old Matthew Gallagher.
According to Wichita police Lt. James Espinoza, the 21-year-old mother of the boy, who also happens to be the arrested individual’s girlfriend, found the man performing CPR on her boy when she returned from work Tuesday night. When the boy remained unresponsive, they decided to take him to a nearby hospital, where doctors managed to find the octopus stuck in the boy’s throat. They were able to successfully remove it from the throat. According to reports, the head of the octopus had a diameter of two inches. Police officials investigating the incident believe that the octopus was likely used to make sushi.
Police: Alleged child abuse victim found with octopus lodged in throat https://t.co/ihtkw4HrBJ https://t.co/ztUwq2fLZL
— Mister Al (@ScionOfScorpio) April 7, 2016
Meanwhile, another report says that the boy was not breathing when he was brought into the hospital by the couple. There were also tell-tale signs of abuse, with the boy reportedly having injuries on his face.
The identities of the child and his mother have not been revealed because the victim is a juvenile.
According to KSNW News, the boy was in critical condition when he was brought into the hospital. His condition remains unchanged as of now. The report also confirmed that Gallagher was interviewed by the Wichita Police Department’s Exploited and Missing Child Unit. According to them, the mother’s boyfriend was not able to satisfactorily explain why the boy ended up with an octopus inside his throat. He also did not answer how the boy became injured. It was after this interview that the man was arrested on child abuse charges.
Octopus is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine, including sushi, takoyaki, and akashiyaki. In Korea, some small species of Octopus are often eaten alive as a novelty food.
It remains unclear as to how the octopus ended up in the little boy’s mouth. Police confirmed that the octopus was dead when it was removed from the boy’s throat. Meanwhile, people on social media websites reacted to the news of the octopus in the toddler’s throat with surprise.
I’ve heard of ‘Cat got your tongue’ but never ‘Octopus got your throat.’ Sushi gets revenge! https://t.co/qBXAuW3ve5
— HUGH (@armagecko2) April 7, 2016
This is a wild one — Octopus found stuck in Kansas boy’s throat; mother’s boyfriend arrested https://t.co/Zn7uQvSNGs
— Meta Viers (@metainthenews) April 7, 2016
In related news, a family in Western Australia got the surprise of a lifetime when they were visiting a beach in the country. According to KCRA 3, the family was playing with a tennis ball that contained a potentially deadly blue-ringed octopus. The family, which included a mother and her children, played with the ball for more than 20 minutes, after which they noticed some movement inside. The octopus was then seen sticking one of its tentacles out, alerting them to what was inside the ball.
In a Facebook post describing the incident, the mother said, “My heart was racing that’s for sure…so please watch out.”
The blue-ringed Octopus is known to have deadly venom and is known to hide in small spaces and crevices. If a person is left untreated after being bitten by this octopus species, it could prove fatal.
[Image via Pixabay]
