PARMA, Ohio (WJW) – The Parma Police Department is investigating the death of a five-year-old boy.
It happened on Thursday afternoon on the 4,700-hundred block of Russell Avenue. Parma police said a 31-year-old man believed to be the boy’s father was arrested in connection with the murder.
The neighbors said they heard a commotion before seeing emergency teams arrive.
Parma investigators spent several hours inside and outside the home. Detectives were seen carrying evidence away in paper bags. They gave few details about how the boy was killed or why.
The family is now devastated and the neighbors are stunned.
“I just wanted to bring something that I thought a little five-year-old would like, so I got him a stuffed rabbit and brought him some brightly colored flowers,” said neighbor Amanda Bohach.
Bohach and her eleven-year-old son Ariez Gomez put memorabilia in front of the house where the boy was killed on Thursday afternoon.
“The boy never experienced his first day of school and Easter was just around the corner. I just thought it was terrible,” said Bohach.
“The world is a mess,” said her 11-year-old son.
Erik Zitney shared a video he recorded shortly after arriving from the scene. It shows the police surrounding a stretcher with a man handcuffed behind his back before police officers roll him out with his arm strapped into place.
“We saw a gentleman in the back of a police car shirtless, he has blood on his leg. They took him out of the police car and handcuffed him on a stretcher, ”Zitney said.
“It’s just annoying,” said Ryan Powell.
“It breaks your heart. I have eight grandchildren myself so it’s amazing, ”said neighbor Donald White.
The neighbors we spoke to say they know little about the 31-year-old suspect or the family who live in the apartment. They describe the area as a typically quiet street with friendly neighbors.
“As a mother, it’s sad, it’s really sad. An innocent child lost his life, for what? “Said a neighbor who did not want to be identified.
“It’s like kids getting off the school bus and stuff … it broke my heart and I just couldn’t imagine anything like this ever happening,” Bohach said.
Parma police have not released the names of the five-year-old boy or the suspect. They say the case is still being investigated and they expect to release more details at a later date. Javascript: false
Comments are closed.