Houston dad admits he ‘lost his temper,’ fatally struck 2-year-old son during potty training
A Houston dad remained in custody Wednesday after he allegedly snapped and fatally beat his 2-year-old son during potty training over the weekend.
Antonio Devonte Hicks Sr., 21, brought the unresponsive child, Antonio Hicks Jr., to Houston Northwest Emergency Room for medical treatment on Saturday afternoon, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Emergency Room staff immediately observed multiple injuries, both recent and healing, not consistent with the father’s story about how his son was injured,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.
Homicide investigators responded to the scene and interviewed both the dad and the toddler’s mother, Ariauna Washington.
“Both admitted that Hicks, Sr. had lost his temper with the child during potty training and struck the child multiple times, causing him to become unresponsive,” the sheriff’s statement said.
Hicks was arrested and charged with causing the child serious bodily injury.
“(The) charges are expected to be upgraded pending autopsy results,” the sheriff’s department said.
Relatives and neighbors created a makeshift memorial for the toddler outside his residence, bringing balloons, candles and a large stuffed toy from his favorite show, “Paw Patrol,” according to ABC13.
“We mattered to people when we were kids, so every kid should have at least a chance at life,” the toddler’s uncle Kali Brown told the station.
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