A California barber accused of murdering a 6-year-old boy he was babysitting was allegedly motivated to beat the victim with a piece of lumber after he peed his pants at a neighborhood park.
Ernest Lamar Love, 41, has been charged with first-degree murder, torture and child abuse resulting in death, in connection with the alleged slaying of first-grader Chance Crawford, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
It's unclear if Love entered a plea to the charges or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.
Chance was allegedly beaten to death Thursday, after finishing his third day of the first grade.
According to prosecutors, Chance's mother dropped him off at Love's barbershop in Placentia, California, so she could work the night shift as a nurse's assistant at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Hours later, prosecutors alleged Love was captured on surveillance footage entering his barbershop carrying a piece of lumber, with a "reluctant" Chance following behind.
After the alleged beating, Love allegedly poured "hydrogen peroxide on the open wounds before forcing the boy to do push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks," leading to his subsequent collapse, said prosecutors.
Love then drove the boy to Children's Hospital of Orange County Friday around 1:30 a.m.
"Doctors at CHOC discovered that much of Chance's flesh was missing from his buttocks, leaving raw, gaping wounds, along with subdural hematoma, extreme brain swelling, and other injuries consistent with violent shaking. The little boy also had a healing fracture on his shoulder blade," prosecutors stated.
Chance succumbed to his injuries Tuesday.
"While his new classmates were celebrating the end of the first week of first grade, Chance's seat in his classroom was empty as he fought for his life in a hospital bed," District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. "Words do not exist to describe the absolute terror this little boy was forced to endure - all at the hands of someone who was supposed to be protecting him, not torturing him to death. Now we as prosecutors will do everything we can to pursue justice for little Chance and be his protectors in death that he failed to have in life."
Chance's loved ones described him as a "loving, sweet little boy, with a beautiful smile. He was always happy, always kind, and always polite," according to a GoFundMe campaign organized to defray funeral costs.
"Chance would light up any room he walked in. He loved watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Sesame Street. He was smart, inquisitive, and a great artist."
"He was a gifted child and had so much life to live," the fundraiser description continued. "We're devastated by the loss of our beautiful, sweet, kind, bright and shining star. This pain is horrible and our family will never recover from the loss. A sweet little boy was taken from us too soon."
