Authorities have arrested four individuals in connection with the suspicious death of an 11-year-old boy in Wylie.
On Monday, just before 5:30 p.m., Wylie Police Department officers and Wylie Fire Rescue responded to a call about an unresponsive child at a residence in the 1600 block of Long Meadow Road. Upon arrival, emergency crews found the boy unconscious and immediately began life-saving measures, according to police. The child was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wylie police reported signs of physical abuse on the boy, prompting a deeper investigation. The Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County assisted at the scene. On Tuesday, authorities executed a search warrant at the home and obtained arrest warrants for 28-year-old Sadie Hope, 30-year-old Sade Hope-Johnson, 46-year-old Eunice Johnson-Lightsey, and 67-year-old Clifford Johnson. Police identified the suspects as the boy’s grandfather, aunt, and two cousins.
All four face charges of injury to a child and abandoning and endangering a child. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed, police said.
“The stories the families were giving us were inconsistent. There were physical injuries on the young man, so that combination led us to dig deeper,” said Sgt. Donald English with Wylie PD, per Fox 4 KDFW. “To see a young man lose his life from a family member, that’s disgusting. There were other kids in the house that possibly witnessed something and are stuck with this for the rest of their life.”
Other children living in the home were removed, though police did not disclose their ages or the number of children involved. The boy’s exact cause of death remains undetermined.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.