Father Nearly Beats His 2 Year Old to Death Teaching Him to Box

[Deberg_1990]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/05/...ex.html?hpt=T2



Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida man who admitted to the near-fatal beating of his 2-year-old son while teaching him how to box remained behind bars Thursday after a judge charged him with second-degree murder and denied him bond.

Lee Willie Dejesus, 23, of Homestead, appeared in court Wednesday night wearing a green protective vest, reserved for those on suicide watch, reported CNN affiliate WFOR.

His son -- identified by CNN affiliate WSVN as Willy Brown -- was on life support Wednesday and not expected to recover from his injuries, said Ed Griffith, spokesman for the Miami-Dade state attorney's office.

Prosecutors said they plan to file first-degree murder charges once the child dies.

Miami-Dade police said Dejesus was watching the child while his mother was at work Monday night.

He told police that he put on boxing gloves and struck the child about 15 times on his face, head, torso and shoulders over a period of 15 minutes, punching him so hard at one point that the boy fell off the bed and struck his head on the tile floor.

The child was rushed to Children's Hospital where he underwent surgery for bleeding on the brain. Griffith said the boy may be brain dead.

A criminal complaint alleges that Dejesus waited to call for medical help for as long as an hour after the boy became unresponsive.

He eventually called 911 after the boy's lips became blue, according to the complaint.

Dejesus initially told police that the boy was beaten by a babysitter before admitting he did it, the complaint says.

[allen_kcCard]

Originally Posted by Donger

Did you even read the story or the multiple cuts which state that HE HIT THE KID SO HARD...?

As to your question, sure, I play fight with my son (and my daughter). They are eight and six, however.

It said "punching him so hard at one point that the boy fell off the bed and struck his head on the tile floor."

If it said, punching him so hard that he left welts and a black eye, or throwing him to the floor when he wasn't listening to him, or kicked him when he fell down, or anything like that...100% agree he should burn in hell. But that quote is totally open to a lot of different truths..."so hard" should have been a mere tap on the arm that made the toddler lost his balance and fall off the bed.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by cdcox

I wresteled with my daughter when she was young. At no time was ther even the most remote possibility of her falling off the bed, because I was in complete control of the situation. If she were to lose her balance and start falling, I was there to grab her. No way would I ever use enough force to fling her or knock her off balance. Kids joints, ligements and especily the neck are pretty fragile. You have to be aware of that 100% of the time.

To be clear, I don't disagree with this. But there's a big difference in someone who's too dumb to properly protect his kid and someone who punched his kid in the face and killed him.

Both probably are justification for jail time, but one is much longer than the other.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by DaFace

That's interpretation, not necessarily fact. A two-year-old doesn't exactly have the best balance. You could scare them, and they could stumble and fall off of the bed.

Like I said, if there was actual injury caused by the punching itself, that's different, but we can't tell that from the article.

Yeah, because boxing a 2 yr old kid on a bed is generally a pretty safe thing, generally speaking. GMAFB.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by wutamess

BS!... Most kids are walking before 1yo. (I have 5 I should know all walked before 9 mos).

2nd... Push hits are not strikes. and I've push hit my son in the head. It's more pushing when we're playing. IF... BIG IF he was repeatedly STRUCK to all these places wouldn't there be bruising and signs of trauma. By CNN not reporting the other injuries, I can only assume there aren't any which leads me to believe the "strikes" weren't really strikes as that would be vital to the story.

Then I put myself in the guys shoes... If I was playing with my kid and he fell off the bed and hit his head. I'd feel bad being labeled a child abuser. Bad parenting on waiting to call for help tho

You're right on the walking. I think I got that confused with reading.

The article states "punching him so hard at one point that the boy fell off the bed and struck his head on the tile floor." What part of that don't you understand? What about waiting an hour to call the medics? Trying to blame it in the babysitter?

If you want to "push hit" your two year old kids, fine. But, have you asked yourself why you feel the need to do so? Or, what effect it might have on their behavior?

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

It said "punching him so hard at one point that the boy fell off the bed and struck his head on the tile floor."

If it said, punching him so hard that he left welts and a black eye, or throwing him to the floor when he wasn't listening to him, or kicked him when he fell down, or anything like that...100% agree he should burn in hell. But that quote is totally open to a lot of different truths..."so hard" should have been a mere tap on the arm that made the toddler lost his balance and fall off the bed.

Dude.....read the quote.

struck the child about 15 times on his face, head, torso and shoulders over a period of 15 minutes

He's hitting him in the face, head, torso and shoulders. And would you expect bruising with boxing gloves on?

Plus throw in the fact that he:

A. Didn't call the paramedics.
B. Tried to place the blame on the babysitter.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Yeah, because boxing a 2 yr old kid on a bed is generally a pretty safe thing, generally speaking. GMAFB.

As I said, both probably deserve jail time. But murder and negligence are very different crimes.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

That's interpretation, not necessarily fact. A two-year-old doesn't exactly have the best balance. You could scare them, and they could stumble and fall off of the bed.

Like I said, if there was actual injury caused by the punching itself, that's different, but we can't tell that from the article.

Sure, and hitting them upside the head will get the job done too. I can't believe that people will justify hitting a two year old in the head/face, period.

[Chief Pote]

Originally Posted by wutamess

As bad as it sounds... It may not be so bad. I'd play with my 2yo with boxing gloves. more pushing him with hits instead of actual hits. Whatever, the case... It sounds like it'd be an aweful ordeal to go through. Playful game that went wrong.

I'd see if there was actual other damage to indicate that the little boy was hit too hard. But if the only injury was head trauma because of the fall this might be a game each one of us dad's would play with our kids.

I normally wouldn't comment on another statement such as this one....but, YOU CAN"T BE SERIOUS?? Even play boxing with a 2 year old is very odd. Try teaching him something constructive....how about his alphabet? Try some number games, anything but violence at 2 years old.

[allen_kcCard]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

He told police that he put on boxing gloves and struck the child about 15 times on his face, head, torso and shoulders over a period of 15 minutes,

That could have been "I put on boxing gloves and was playing with my son, punching him with the (padded) gloves to make him fall down. We had been doing it for about 15 minutes when I let him ge too close to the edge and..."

Or..."I beat the piss out of him because if I don't teach him to be a man, who else is going to do it. After 15 minutes of so, he quit crying, but started to again so I busted his ass across the bed into the floor."

Nothing in the article says anything definate to say what the "striking" really was.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sure, and hitting them upside the head will get the job done too. I can't believe that people will justify hitting a two year old in the head/face, period.

The fact that people miss this point is amazing to me.

[wutamess]

I'm not arguing it was bad judgement... I'm saying lets not paint him as a freaking torturer when all he was probably doing was playing with his kids. I'd hate to be THAT GUY! Don't judge him so harshly if he doesn't deserve it.

Hell just like Allen_KC... my daughter was 3 or 4 yo and she'd hit and run and I'd throw a pillow while she was running... After 10-15 times, I caught her at just the right time... her momentum carried her into the bed frame and she hit her eye. Lesson learned but I also didn't call 911. That was 2001 now I know what to be careflu of while playing but I was young and shit happened.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

That could have been "I put on boxing gloves and was playing with my son, punching him with the (padded) gloves to make him fall down. We had been doing it for about 15 minutes when I let him ge too close to the edge and..."

Or..."I beat the piss out of him because if I don't teach him to be a man, who else is going to do it. After 15 minutes of so, he quit crying, but started to again so I busted his ass across the bed into the floor."

Nothing in the article says anything definate to say what the "striking" really was.

I don't take "playing with my 2 year old" to mean the same thing as "teaching him to box".

[blaise]

Originally Posted by wutamess

As bad as it sounds... It may not be so bad. I'd play with my 2yo with boxing gloves. more pushing him with hits instead of actual hits. Whatever, the case... It sounds like it'd be an aweful ordeal to go through. Playful game that went wrong.

I'd see if there was actual other damage to indicate that the little boy was hit too hard. But if the only injury was head trauma because of the fall this might be a game each one of us dad's would play with our kids.

No.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sure, and hitting them upside the head will get the job done too. I can't believe that people will justify hitting a two year old in the head/face, period.

Justify? Hardly. All I am saying is that there are plenty of people in this world with bad judgment. That doesn't make them murderers.

Clearly there was a crime done here. The severity of the crime is what I question.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by Donger

With a fucking TWO year old? What possible purpose can even play fighting with a two year old serve?

My 2yr old daughter wants to wrestle and "fight" all the time. If I lay on the floor at home, odds are I'm seconds away from getting piled on by my 2 and or 4 year old. My nephews have wanted to box or more appropriate "slap fight" since they were probably 2. Always in fun, they growl and grunt but its a game.



I'd never support someone punching a 2 year old, and if they were hard blows the guy should get his medicine. If "strikes" means little slaps that caused a kid he was playing with to fall off of the bed and brain himself, I guess I see it as bad judgement and luck.

I get what wutta is saying.