GLENDALE, Ariz. — A 20-year-old man has been arrested by Glendale police for allegedly beating his girlfriend's 2-year-old son to death.
Police were dispatched Tuesday morning to a home near 59th and Olive avenues for reports of a sick child. When officers arrived, they found a toddler who was not breathing and had no pulse.
Johnny Brazell II, the boy's stepfather, told police the child had been attacked by a dog. Upon further examination at the hospital, doctors discovered injuries on the child that indicated he had been the victim of abuse.
Glendale police said Brazell and 20-year-old Leilah Lopez, the child's mother, allegedly gave inconsistent accounts as to how the 2-year-old was injured.
Brazell allegedly then admitted to beating the child with a belt, dropping him on the floor, and hitting his head against furniture, police said. Lopez allegedly failed to call 911 after noticing the injured child and agreed to lie about what happened.
Both Brazell and Lopez were taken into custody and are facing several felony charges.
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