A husband and wife restrained a 12-year-old boy with shackles and placed a shock collar typically used on K9s on him, leaving him in a bathtub until he died.
The father even took a “selfie” of himself with the child, Eduardo Posso, in restraints, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Detectives found the collar and restraints inside the motel room in Indiana on May 23 and discovered video footage on cell phones recovered during the probe that included video footage of the boy in the bathtub. Luis Posso, 32, and stepmother Dayan Median Flores, 25, were seen in video footage walking into to and out of the bathroom, paying no attention to the child.
Posso did pause at one point to snap a “selfie” of himself in a picture that includes the boy in restraints.
Sheriff Brad Swain said that hospital workers alerted law enforcement after Eduardo was taken to the hospital unresponsive and they found signs of “extreme abuse.” The boy was declared dead about 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital.
Swain said at a press conference on May 28 that detectives found ankle and wrist restraints as well as chains and the dog collar.
Eduardo “lived a very sad life, a lot of times under restraint, and his life gradually diminished after repeated acts of abuse by his father with the full knowledge of his stepmother. He was also not fed properly,” Swain said.
Monroe County coroner Joni Shields said that there were “signs of severe starvation and abuse” and that the boy was found weighing about 50 pounds. There were bruises all of Eduardo’s body.
Detective Lt. Jennifer Allen said that the abuse got more severe within the last year. “He appeared to be somewhat of a normal happy little boy about a year ago,” Allen said.
The father and stepmother denied not feeding the boy properly but the father admitted to punishing his boy physically while the mother told officers that the stepfather used restraints on the boy, she added.
“Everybody involved in this case has been very deeply affected,” Allen said. “There’s really no words for this type of abuse.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the family was in the area for their contract jobs: distributing advertising for a circus that tours around the country. The circus was not named by law enforcement per a request from the circus.
Images of the devices used to restrain young Eduardo Posso. Chains, K9 shock collar. Pictures from @SheriffMonroeCo @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/nJmPODBOJB
— Jennie Runevitch (@JennieWTHR) May 28, 2019
This is the Monroe County motel where detectives say the Posso family had been staying since last Monday. They usually left 12 y/o Eduardo shackled and chained to a bathtub, where he was systematically starved and abused until his death on Friday. @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/WMd3wLY2YD
— Jennie Runevitch (@JennieWTHR) May 28, 2019
Posso and Flores were taken into custody and charged with neglect of a child. They were each being held on $500,000 bond.
It is possible that both defendants or one could face a charge of murder in addition to the counts of neglect, Allen said, pending what the investigation uncovers and the cause and manner of the death. Because the family was recently in Florida, the probe is extending there.
Three other children were found healthy and given over to Child Protective Services.
Officials said that people who think they see signs of abuse should alert the authorities.