A Mother and her boyfriend are accused of frequently torturing their 6-year-old son, resulting in his death.
Elaina Rose Jennings, 25, and Daniel John Giacchina, 32, of Madison Heights, Mich., have been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in the July death of 6-year-old Giovanni “Chulo” Jennings, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced at a press conference on Friday, Aug. 9.
McDonald claimed that the couple badly abused and frequently beat the youngster, who was “confined, beaten, and bound to the wall using a staple gun.” The prosecutor stated that Jennings was aware that her son was seriously hurt, but she refused to take him to the hospital for treatment for fear that others would learn of the alleged abuse.
According to McDonald, Jennings contacted 911 on July 30 at 2:35 p.m. to report that her kid was not breathing. First responders transported the kid to the hospital, but he died at around midnight on July 31.
According to McDonald, an autopsy revealed that the youngster died of blunt force wounds to his belly and a perforated colon “after a lengthy period of confinement and abuse.” His death was deemed a homicide. McDonald said photos from the autopsy revealed bruising and wounds all over his body.
McDonald alleged Jennings and Giacchina collaborated to fraudulently tell authorities that Chulo’s father was last seen with the child, even though the youngster was left in Giacchina’s care while she was at work that day. Investigators met with the boy’s father and found that he was not involved in the alleged mistreatment.
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According to McDonald, the pair allegedly confined the 6-year-old kid to a pen in a corner of their bedroom, forcing him to sleep on a wooden plank measuring 11 inches by 36 inches. A black curtain was also apparently placed to prevent Chulo from seeing outside, and obstacles were deployed to keep him inside.
“Chulo was beaten by Giacchina on multiple occasions,” McDonald stated. “While that abuse sometimes happened while Jennings was at work, Jennings was aware of it and approved of the physical assaults and at times even encouraged Giacchina to abuse Chulo.”
According to McDonald, Giacchina bought a home security system and installed a camera on the wall to monitor what he and Jennings dubbed ‘the corner,’ which was the location where Chulo was kept. According to the prosecutor, the pair viewed films of Chulo attempting to urinate, drink, or escape from imprisonment.
In the days before Chulo was discovered unresponsive, Giacchina allegedly stapled the boy’s clothes to the wall and squeezed his head into the corner as punishment for “looking out the window in the pen area,” according to McDonald.
According to McDonald, Giacchina then allegedly texted Jennings that he had “solved the problem,” including a photo of the youngster stapled to the pen’s corner. McDonald stated that Jennings and Giacchina laughed over the photo. McDonald further claimed that the abuse included Chulo being shot with a BB gun.
During a check of the residence, where Jennings resided with Chulo, her two other minor children, and Giacchina, detectives allegedly discovered a staple gun, a BB gun, and a 9mm ghost pistol, as well as projectile holes in the walls, McDonald said.
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Authorities also allegedly discovered a photograph of youngsters holding a revolver and BB gun, with Giacchina in the photo. Another photograph purportedly shows two children pointing a firearm at a third child.
While speaking with detectives, Chulo’s 4-year-old brother claimed Giacchina shot him with a BB pistol and also shot Chulo in the buttocks, according to McDonald. The youngster reportedly stated that on the day of his death, Chulo “died all day and Danny was there,” alluding to Giacchina.
McDonald alleged: Jennings later admitted that Giacchina punched Chulo multiple times in the abdomen roughly three days before he died. Jennings later told authorities that as a result of those punches, Chulo began vomiting, and his condition deteriorated until she discovered him unresponsive in the company of Giacchina, McDonald claimed.
The murder and abuse charges are in addition to the ones Jennings and Giacchina were detained for last week. Jennings and Giacchina are accused of lying to a police officer, with Giacchina also facing firearm-related crimes. It is unclear whether they have filed pleas or hired attorneys to speak on their behalf.
According to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, both are being held at the Oakland County Jail after being denied bond during a court hearing on August 9. A probable cause conference is set for August 21 in the 43rd District Court.
“All children have a right to grow up in a home free of fear,” McDonald told the crowd. “This youngster and his siblings endured unspeakable torture and lived in constant fear.
“My office and the Madison Heights Police Department are committed to using every resource available to us to get justice for Chulo and hold the people responsible for this death accountable, and to seek punishment that reflects the horror of his death,” the attorney general stated.