Dad Killed Son, 3, In Fear of Losing His Girlfriend Who Disliked Children: Prosecutors

yahoo.com

A New Jersey man was charged with murdering his three-year-old son, allegedly killing the child because he feared the boy was getting in the way of his relationship with his teenage girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Little Brendan Creato was found dead on October 13, less than a mile from his dad’s apartment, where he had been dropped off a day earlier...

The child’s cause of death is still undetermined, but medical examiners reportedly found he died of “homicidal violence,” prosecutors said.

Brendan’s brain showed a lack of oxygen before his death, indicating causes such as drowning, smothering or asphyxiation, WPVI reported.

He also had a fresh bruise near his collarbone, investigators said.

Investigators reportedly did not believe that Brenden went to that area on his own, as the boy’s socks were clean despite the muddy surroundings.

The area is very steep at one point and difficult to navigate, authorities said.

He was also known to be afraid of the dark, so it was unlikely he would have gone into the wooded area before it was daylight, prosecutors said.