After surrendering to Chicago police, a South Side man was charged Sunday with killing his girlfriend’s 1-year-old son.
After surrendering to Chicago police, a South Side man was charged Sunday with killing his girlfriend’s 1-year-old son. According to Chicago police officer Laura Kubiak, Darnell Thomas, 21, of the 7100 block of South Yates, was charged with one count of first-degree murder after turning himself in to Area 2 detectives. Thomas initially called 911 Saturday and told paramedics that the boy had fallen down the stairs and was not breathing. The boy was taken to the University of Chicago Hospitals where doctors discovered bruises on his chest. He was later pronounced dead. An autopsy determined the child had been murdered and a death investigation turned into a homicide investigation, Kubiak said. “The offender was not immediately arrested because it had not been determined that the child was murdered,” Kubiak explained. “But once the autopsy ruled the child had been murdered detectives quickly contacted Mr. Thomas (by phone) and convinced him to turn himself in, which he did without incident.” Once in custody Thomas was also charged with one count of domestic battery, a misdemeanor, for allegedly hitting the victim’s 3-year-old brother. Thomas had been babysitting for his girlfriend who was at work at the time. Thomas was scheduled to appear in bond court Monday. Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender