ST. LOUIS (AP) - A 3-year-old boy who was beaten to death last week died about a month after being returned to the care of a man accused of prior child abuse involving the boy and his siblings, police and St. Louis County prosecutors said.
Prosecutors have charged Tevin Branom, 21, of St. Louis, with second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in the death of Eli Taylor.
Police and paramedics were called to the boy's home Oct. 7 for reports of a child not breathing and found Eli unresponsive. While performing CPR, paramedics noted the boy had broken ribs and bruising to his body. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy found the cause of death to be abdominal trauma.
Prosecutors have said Eli was injured while in the care of Branom, who was implicated in prior abuse allegations which resulted in Eli and his siblings being removed from the home for about 18 months.