A dad has been accused of beating his two-year-old son while potty training before he died shortly afterwards in hospital.
Antonio Hicks Sr has been charged with serious serious bodily injury to a child for hitting his son, Antonio Hicks Jr, but may face upgraded charges.
He was taken into custody in Houston, Texas, after he and the child's mother told police he lost his temper while potty training the boy and hit him several times, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
According to court documents, Hicks Sr. punched his son in the chest after finding the toddler smearing feces on the bathroom floor.
He allegedly also admitted to hitting the child “too hard.”
Antonio Hicks Jr's mother reportedly found the toddler unresponsive and performed CPR on him, before Hicks Sr. walked his son to hospital.
He died on Saturday.
The toddler’s injuries weren’t consistent with Hicks Sr. claims of how his son was hurt, KHOU reported.
He remains in jail on a $250,000 bond.
A Harris County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson told CrimeOnline that he may face upgraded charges pending the results of Hicks Jr.’s autopsy.
A memorial fro Hicks Jr. was held on Sunday. Balloons with the characters from his favourite show "Paw Patrol" were brought as well.
Kali Brown, the boy's uncle, told ABC13's he's not just a statistic and every child matters.
"We mattered to people when we were kids, so every kid should have at least a chance at life," he said.
