While the 14-year-old enduring the beating, his three siblings, a 5-month old, and a 4- and 6-year-old, were present. The teen’s stepfather was also present during the beating, but did nothing to stop it, according to court documents.
The stepfather told officers that he didn’t intervene with the teen’s previous beatings because the child is not his and he felt it wasn’t his place, saying it was best to mind his own business in “these situations,” court documents say.
The 14-year-old boy came to his mother’s home in August of 2024 for a visit, but she did not return him to his aunt, who is his legal guardian.