SAN ANTONIO — Warning: The following details may be difficult to read as they detail abuse of a child.
A 32-year-old man has been arrested, accused of beating his 12-year-old son, leaving him with "no brain activity" according to an affidavit from the San Antonio Police Department. Authorities later confirmed the child died around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
The incident began around 7:30 p.m. Sunday at an apartment in the 7600 block of Wurzbach Road on the city's northwest side.
When police arrived, they found the 12-year-old to be "unresponsive" after his father reportedly said he fell in the shower. The father has since been identified as Derrick Coles.
After the boy was taken to University Hospital, the medical staff reported finding "several suspicious injuries on the victim" and he had "no brain activity" which was "not consistent with someone falling in the shower," the affidavit says.
Coles and his wife, Kapri Cheatom, were taken in for questioning by SAPD.
Coles told authorities that the boy had recently moved into his home and was from Chicago. He said the boy had been "disrespectful" since moving to San Antonio and had "caused problems."
The affidavit says that Coles would make the child do push-ups and hold boxes that weighed around 50 pounds as a way of discipline. On the day of the incident, the victim reportedly cussed at Coles, and that's when Coles slapped the teen and busted his lip.
The victim was told to hold boxes as punishment, which lasted several hours. He eventually got into the shower and that's when Coles says he fell. He also told police that the victim had a cut on his eye when he fell in the shower.
The victim had multiple injuries on his body, including internal stomach bleeding. He had been hit several times with a belt by the father and his step-mom, the affidavit says. Coles also reportedly made the child write "I will obey all people that live in the household" several times on notebook paper.
Coles and his wife face charges of intentionally causing serious bodily injuries to a child and each have a $150,000 bond.
Charges could be upgraded.
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