Police Investigate Death Of 7-Year-Old Boy Whose Body Was Covered In Bruises
DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit police are investigating the death of a 7-year-old boy who was covered in bruises when he arrived at an emergency room.
Police tell WWJ the boy was brought to Henry Ford Hospital early Thursday morning by his step-father. He was pronounced dead on arrival.
The boy's body was allegedly covered "from head to toe" with bruises and abrasions, although a cause of death wasn't immediately clear. Police say marks on the boy's body are consistent with child abuse.
Investigators searched the boy's home, and possibly where his injuries occurred, near the corner of Richton and 14th streets. The home is located in a west side neighborhood along Rosa Parks Boulevard, between Chicago Boulevard and the Davison Freeway.
The owner of the home, Allen Rimson, said his 27-year-old son was living there with the boy's mother and her three children. He told WWJ's Charlie Langton the boy was apparently ill for a few days, and having trouble keeping food down.
"He just was sick, was throwing up all over the house and stuff this morning, but he had been doing that for the last few days because he been eating raw food, you know, eating raw food and stuff like that," he said.
Rimson said he just can't make any sense of the allegations of child abuse.
"That's what my daughter was telling me but my son wouldn't have, he don't abuse no kids, you know, he loves kids," he said.
Instead, Rimson believes the boy might have been injured when trying to reach the bathroom.
"Well, we know he ran through the house trying to get to the bathroom. My son, he say he probably tripped and fell in the bathroom and hit his head on the sink or something on the floor when he was running to the bathroom from throwing up," Rimson said.
Police say the boy's step-father has been detained and is being questioned, but is currently not under arrest.
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