A 1-year-old boy was in the Detriot home where he lived with his mom when he reportedly pulled his mom’s flatscreen TV off her dresser.
The toddler’s mistake allegedly sent his mom into a rage in which she beat 1-year-old Viston Levell Stevenson until she had to call for help from first responders. When authorities first arrived at the scene, they quickly realized that Viston was a victim of child abuse.
A 1-Year-Old Dies After Mom Beat Him Over Fallen Flatscreen TV
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Viston was unresponsive by the time paramedics got to him. He was transported to a local hospital and labeled in critical condition. Viston had suffered a fractured skull, a broken collarbone, broken pelvis, broken ribs, and internal bleeding.
The toddler passed away two days later. According to People, his mom 20-year-old Rhionna Nichols was arrested. She now faces charges of felony murder, first-degree child abuse, and torture charges.
Police say she originally told them that when Viston knocked the TV over she only shook him and hit him with a shoe on his legs. Sadly, that is not what happened.
Viston’s paternal aunt, Kenya Stevenson, told Fox 2 that her nephew’s father stayed by his son’s side the entire time he was in the hospital. It’s unclear if the father lived in the home at the time.
“He definitely had the courage to hold his son for the last time. We sat there the whole entire time. He never left his side. […] I can’t imagine what my nephew had to go through. He was a very, very, very, very, very happy baby.”
The family has since set up a GoFundMe account to help raise money for Viston’s funeral. And now, they are simply looking for prayers. Kenya continued:
“The main thing is to pray for our strength, our peace of mind, our health, and my nephew and that he’s in a better place, and that he knows he was loved, regardless of anything.”
On December 8, Rhionna was arraigned on murder charges and denied bond. Kenya told ABC 7 that “I just hope they don’t let her out. It was quite devastating at the hospital, seeing him there and not being able to hold him.”