Evidence shows boy found lifeless in park originally left in van

AP ^ | Thursday, August 3, 2006

[WestTexasWend]

BALCH SPRINGS, TX (AP) - Evidence suggests a 4-year-old boy who died of heatstroke was left inside a sweltering van near a day care center for hours before his body was moved to a playground, investigators said.

After the day care owner called 911 and said "One of my babies is at the park, and he's not breathing," emergency personnel found Jacob Fox face up with his eyes open and arms by his side at Kidstown Pavilion. His skin was pale and dry, and his core temperature was 107.9 degrees, according to a police affidavit released Tuesday. One of the officers said it appeared Jacob's body "had been laid there intentionally."

Dream House Learning Center owner Blynithia Washington told investigators she had taken several children to the park, left to run an errand and returned to find Jacob unconscious. Employee Melissa Williams told police she had been supervising some of the children when Washington told her Jacob wasn't breathing.

But Friday, Williams went to police and changed her story because "she could not sleep or eat and ... was afraid of the defendant."

The evidence led authorities to change the charge this week against Washington to injury to a child/recklessly causing serious bodily injury. Washington, 40, was initially charged with abandoning or endangering a child after Jacob's death July 20. The new charge is the same as the old one - a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

On the morning of Jacob's death, Washington picked him up in the day care van at 7 a.m. for his usual trip to the center, Jacob's mother, Avonda Fox, told police. After lunch, Jacob's 6-year-old brother noticed he was missing. Williams found Jacob curled in the driver's seat of the van and told co-worker Tonya Roberson to call Washington, according to the affidavit.

Around 2:15 p.m., Washington called 911 from the park. It's unclear how Jacob's body got to the park from the day care center, police said.

The day care center has been closed since Jacob's death and won't reopen, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales.

[Horatio Gates]

Williams found Jacob curled in the driver's seat of the van

I've got this picture in my mind of this young boy fighting to get out of the van thru the driver door. What could be more appropriate than to give Washington a taste of what she put this child through?

[MBombardier]

Serious bodily injury?? How about death??? How about second degree murder?? Involuntary manslaughter??

[jiggyboy]

An autopsy might back this up scientifically. The blood tends to pool at whatever part of the body it would immediately fall to when the heart stops pumping. It pretty much stays where it is from that point even when you move the body.

[Deaf Smith]

It was previously reported that when the EMT's arrived, the body of the little boy was already in rigor mortis.

[FReepaholic]

... Blynithia Washington ...

Blynithia?

[rovenstinez]

Just a FINE advertisement for MORE day care centers. JUST what the Creator had always intended. Have your baby, and dump it at some collection center for someone name Blythinia to watch it.

[rawhide]

Jacob Fox

Blynithia Washington

More info here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/080206dnmetbalchdaycare.5198b98.html

[Politicalmom]

I don't understand this. My children could all get out of a car by the age of three.

[gcruse]

"Have your baby, and dump it at some collection center"

The alternatives include paying the mother welfare to sit at home with the child watching TV all day or having an abortion early on, eliminating the problem.