A 10-year-old Indiana boy died after his foster mother sat on him for several minutes.
Police said Dakota Stevens died on April 25 in Valparaiso, Indiana. Officers responded to a call about a child not breathing. They found Dakota without a pulse and with bruising on his neck and chest. He later died at the hospital.
Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, was charged with reckless homicide. She told investigators Dakota ran away earlier that day. She said she found him at a neighbor’s home and brought him back. She admitted sitting on him for about five minutes. Wilson is 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 340 pounds. Dakota was 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 90 pounds.
Meanwhile, Ring video showed Wilson on the boy’s neck and head. Dakota screamed as the video continued. His screams then faded. Wilson later said she thought he was pretending.
“Are you faking?”
“I was laying on him and he was acting bad.”
Later, Dakota stopped moving and appeared pale. Wilson shouted his name and told another child to call 911. Two days later, on April 27, South Bend Memorial Hospital confirmed his death. Doctors reported severe organ damage and lung bleeding.
Finally, an autopsy ruled the death mechanical asphyxia and homicide. A neighbor told police Dakota asked her to adopt him. In January, Wilson received a six-year sentence with one year suspended. The Department of Child Services suspended her foster license.