A Wisconsin mother faces homicide charges after she bound her 4-year-old with seven belts and set him on fire, authorities say.
GRAPHIC: Mother charged with homicide after son set on fire
According to a criminal complaint, 23-year-old Amelia Di Stasio set her son Antonio, who had autism, on fire the morning of Sept. 28.
The fire department responded to calls that morning of smoke coming from their apartment building.
Inside, investigators say they found Antonio’s body in the bathtub. His hands and arms were secured to his sides with seven belts, and a plastic bag had been placed over his head.
Antonio Di Stasio, a 4-year-old with autism, was described by his uncle as a good kid who was always smiling. (Source: WITI/CNN)
The boy was badly burned. Investigators learned he had been set on fire with the use of an accelerant. A bottle of canola cooking oil was located on the bathroom sink.
“He was a good kid, always smiling,” Antonio’s uncle said.
A neighbor allegedly told police the day before Antonio’s death, she heard him yell, “Please, Mommy, stop. I won’t do it again.”
Another witness says she saw Amelia Di Stasio climb out of her apartment window and run away before fire trucks arrived.
“It’s impossible to describe it. I got to hope that Antonio is in heaven,” said Ralph Di Stasio, Antonio’s grandfather and the suspect’s father.
Police arrested the 23-year-old mother later the same day her son’s body was discovered. On her cell phone, investigators say there were searches for “how do canabals [sic] die” and “how to kill a canabal [sic].”
Police also say a message board, which was dedicated to an online “horror survival game” in which players fight cannibals, was visited on Amelia Di Stasio’s phone. The board contained posts about killing cannibals with fire and stated cannibals “often like to bath in oil.”
Amelia Di Stasio was charged with first degree intentional homicide. If convicted, she faces life in prison.
“It’s hard to accept, but with all the prayers and everything, and family and friends, it’s a little easier,” Ralph Di Stasio said.
Source: http://www.cleveland19.com
The U.S. Marshals say they’re trying to track down an alleged sexual predator in Central Texas before he finds his next victim.
BREAKING NEWS: Local man accused of targeting single mothers so he can prey on their kids
“We’re looking for Tomas Gutierrez,” Supervisory Deputy Marshal Hector Gomez. “He also goes by the name of Tomas Hernandez.”
Tomas Gutierrez is 35 years old and is wanted for continuous sexual abuse of a child. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force says he’s a sexual predator who targets single mothers. (Photo courtesy: Lone Star Fugitive Task Force)
Gomez says Tomas Gutierrez is 35 years old and is wanted for continuous sexual abuse of a child. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force says he’s a sexual predator who targets single mothers.
“He’s an opportunist,” Gomez said. “He appears to seek out women who have children. Young children.”
Gomez says he slowly builds trust with the victim.
“He would buy her toys and buy her items of value,” Gomez said.
The arrest warrant says, “Tomas Gutierrez gave her a cell phone to use and told her to go into the bedroom.”
Gomez says that’s when the abuse started.
“When the victim’s mother was away from the home working is when Tomas Gutierrez began his criminal conduct,” Gomez said.
So far finding Gutierrez has been difficult. Investigators say he does various trade jobs in Austin and he has his name tattooed on his left arm. But so far he’s been a ghost to law enforcement.
“He has been able to live here in virtual anonymity,” Gomez said. “He doesn’t have a criminal history. He has lived in this country illegally. We don’t know when he came in. He doesn’t have so much as a traffic ticket.”
Gutierrez has family in Austin the area and may be in and out of Central Texas on a regular basis.
“Any child that Gutierrez comes into contact is a potential victim,” Gomez said. “We’ve got to put a stop to people like Tomas Gutierrez.”
If you have any information on Tomas Gutierrez, you are asked to call the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force Tip Line at 512-800-4213.
Source: http://news4sanantonio.com