California police arrested a man on Wednesday, days after his ex-girlfriend’s 5-year-old son was found dead in a dumpster.
A law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times that Bryson Gaddis, 20, was arrested in connection with the death of Elyjiah Hearn. Hearn was reportedly found dead in a Panorama City dumpster on Saturday.
The victim’s grandfather told the Los Angeles Times that Gaddis previously dated the boy’s 24-year-old mother. The law enforcement official claimed Hearn suffered extensive injuries — including fractured ribs, a fractured jaw, and a lacerated liver.
The victim’s grandfather accused Gaddis of kidnapping Hearn and his mother near a store and taking them to an apartment complex not far from where Hearn’s body was found on Saturday. Police reportedly located and questioned the mother before releasing her.
According to KTVU, two other children who were found at the apartment complex are in the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
“He was autistic, but that didn’t slow him down. He could pick up your phone and go through it, any tablet. His speech was slow but he was loving,” the victim’s grandfather told KTVU.
The news outlet reported that three other people were detained but eventually released. A fourth person who was detained was arrested on charges not related to the ongoing death investigation.
Hearn’s cause of death has not been released.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
