A 29-year-old Sandusky, Ohio, man identified as the 911 caller who reported a 3-year-old girl missing, claiming she left with a dog after he took a sleep, has now been charged with strangling the youngster to death.
The Sandusky Police Department arrived at Devin O’Brien’s mobile home park property on Venice Road after he contacted 911 at about 9 p.m. Thursday to report that his girlfriend’s child was missing. In the recording, which was partially aired by local Fox affiliate WJW, a man can be heard telling a 911 dispatcher that he “ran around our neighborhood and I cannot find her anywhere.”
“OK, how old is she?” the dispatcher inquired.
“She’s three,” the caller explained.
“She’s three?” the dispatcher inquired.
“Yes, she’s three,” the caller verified.
According to officials, the 911 caller who reported the 3-year-old missing was O’Brien. He allegedly claimed that both the girl and his dog had been “taken” by a “deadbeat drug guy” while he was taking a 30-minute snooze.
“I need to report…” “I believe my girlfriend’s daughter and dog have been taken,” O’Brien said, according to the Sandusky Register, noting that the defendant has had mental health issues and has worked in a variety of jobs since graduating from high school. “I took a 30-minute nap and just woke up. Nowhere. I’ve scoured our entire house.”
Later in the call, O’Brien allegedly claimed that his girlfriend was at work in Cleveland and that she and the girl had recently moved into his home.
“I’m wondering if I should drive around and look. “I don’t know,” O’Brien reportedly stated. “They recently moved in with me. There’s a field nearby.
Police officers then arrived in the area to investigate. A few while later, investigators discovered the 3-year-old dead near his home.
According to Sandusky Police Chief Jared Oliver, an autopsy revealed that the man “suffered some blunt force trauma injuries,” “died from strangulation,” and showed “signs of sexual assault.”
While Erie County jail records show that O’Brien was detained without bond in the murder case on Friday, Sandusky Municipal Court records state that his arraignment is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m.