COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio mother and her boyfriend were charged in the death of her 6-year-old daughter.
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Around 3:30 a.m. on April 13, Columbus Division of Police Officers were dispatched to the 4000 block of Migration Lane off Stelzer Road, our news partners WBNS-10 TV reported.
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Medics took 6-year-old Eva Bretz to Nationwide Children’s Hospital with life-threatening internal and external injuries, including a severed liver, bruising, ligature marks around her neck, and injuries to other parts of her body, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
Bretz was pronounced dead hours later, and the Franklin County Coroner’s Office ruled her death a homicide, WBNS-10 TV reported.
Bretz was in the care of her mother, 32-year-old Ashley Fagan, and Fagan’s boyfriend, 24-year-old Blake Hutchinson, at the time of her death, according to court records.
Now, Fagan and Hutchinson are each charged with murder and endangering children in connection with Bretz’s death.
Hutchinson and Fagan both made false statements about what happened and were not able to account for Bretz’s injuries while she was in their care, WBNS-10 TV reported.
Fagan was booked into the Franklin County jail on May 4, and a warrant was issued for Hutchinson’s arrest.
On May 6, Hutchinson died by suicide after being approached by Knox County SWAT personnel, according to Columbus police.
The Franklin County Children Services told WBNS-10 TV that they first received reports about Bretz at her birth in March 2019, with concerns about a positive drug test,
In December 2020, the FCCS received a second report related to concerns about neglect, emotional maltreatment, and physical abuse.
Both cases were closed after the family met with caseworkers, and the children, Bretz’s three siblings, were deemed to be safe in their parents’ care, according to the FCCS.
However, FCCS coworkers responded in the past to concerns about abuse and neglect related to Bretz’s two brothers and sister, and there was an ongoing case involving a sibling at the time of Bretz’s death.
FCCS told WBNS-10 TV that Fagan and her children were encouraged to get involved with supportive services and assistance, which is available to families who are facing difficulties.
“Unfortunately, the services offered to the family were not successful in reducing the kind of isolation that can hide abuse and neglect,” a spokesperson for the FCCS said.
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