DAYTON — The family of a 7-year-old boy whose remains were found in Dayton over the weekend said they’ve had concerns for months.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the family turned to the system responsible for protecting children in danger.
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News Center 7’s John Bedell talked to Hershall Creachbaum’s family outside the courthouse as they waited for a court date that will likely happen Tuesday.
One family member said, “We shouldn’t be burying this boy… he had his whole life ahead of him.”
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A family tree would show that Chasity Rollins was Creachbaum’s cousin.
“I’ve been there since day one,” Rollins said.
But her actions since he was a baby give her a different title: caretaker.
“We were there for appointments when he needed to go to school. I would take him to school, whatever they needed. We were there every day,” Rollins said.
But she is now without her younger cousin.
“Why take such a beautiful soul? Why? It was senseless,” Rollins said.
Creachbaum’s mom, Ashley Johnson, and her boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, who is not the boy’s father, are in jail.
“I fully believe they both deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Rollins said.
Rollins said Creachbaum’s paternal grandmother had custody until she was in a car crash in November.
That’s when Rollins said Creachbaum’s mom cared for him while grandma recovered.
Johnson hasn’t been allowing other family members to see Creachbaum since late May, according to Rollins.
“They would not allow grandma or anybody else into the home. She gave every excuse she could to keep everybody out of the home,” Rollins said.
New court documents show that Kendrick admitted that while Johnson was in the hospital in late May, he hit Creachbaum twice, pushed him down, then hid his body when he died the next day.
He also reportedly admitted to moving the boy’s remains several times.
Court documents indicate that he led police to the remains on Saturday.
Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal revealed the concerns the family raised weren’t the only time someone worried about Creachbaum’s welfare.
Bedell asked how many times Children’s Services were called concerning Creachbaum.
“I don’t know. Yeah, I can’t tell you how many times. I know (the) Children’s Services Bureau had a case open for the, for Hershall. I don’t think it was open at this time, but I can’t tell you the number of times that they were called,” Afzal said.
Bedell reached out to the Montgomery County Children’s Services on Monday.
The agency said, “Ohio law prevents Children Services from confirming or denying if there was a case involving this family.”
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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