A St. Landry grand jury indicted a mother and boyfriend in the murder of the woman's two-year-old son. Latricia Hunt, 20, is charged with second degree cruelty to a juvenile, and Dominique Jackson, 21, is charged with first degree murder of a juvenile under the age of 12.
On Dec. 19, 2011, Hunt brought her unresponsive son to Opelousas General Hospital, and an autopsy later showed evidence of fractured ribs and abdominal damage. Investigators said the alleged abuse was at the hands of Jackson. The coroner ruled the boy died from blunt force trauma.
While investigating the boy's death, detectives found out the the toddler had previously been burned. "He sustained severe burns to his hands while in the care of Dominique Jackson while the mother was at work," said Opelousas Police Chief Perry Gallow. According to Jackson, the 2-year-old's hands were near the stove while Jackson was cooking stew and the pot boiled over. The boy was treated at a burn center in Baton Rouge.
The mother never reported to law enforcement by the mother, and the child wasn't brought to the doctor until the following day, Gallow said.