GAVIN SACKS - 1 yo (2011)/ Convicted: Mother's BF; Michael D. Arnold - Tell City (SW of Louisville) - IN

Perry Co. man charged with murder after beating boy, 1, to death

Jan 25, 2011 1:02 PM


Arnold; Source: Tell City PD Click image to enlarge

TELL CITY, IN (WFIE) - A one-year-old boy in Tell City has died, and his mother's boyfriend is accused of beating him to death.

Tell City Police say 18-year-old Michael Arnold is charged with murder, battery resulting in death, and voluntary manslaughter after Gavin Sacks was found unresponsive.

On Friday night police were summoned to Jessica Sacks's apartment, where Arnold had been babysitting while she was at work.

On Monday, Gavin's family spoke exclusively with 14 News. Gavin's family says they just want to know why this happened, but believe justice will be served.

The memories of little Gavin Sacks still make his family members smile.

Gavin's grandfather Mike Sacks says, "He was happy and laughing, and he always loved to have his feet played with. I don't know why, but his toes were his favorite things."

Family members say Gavin had several bruises around his head Friday night.

Gavin was air lifted to St. Mary's Hospital, but family members say by Saturday morning, they were finding out that the trauma was so bad, he had a slim chance of surviving.

Mike Sacks says, "I can't even tell you, the way it makes you feel to hear that your little grandson is not going to make it."

Gavin died at the hospital Sunday morning, and the suspect, Michael Arnold, was charged on Monday morning.

The Sacks family says looking back, they saw no signs of any anger issues.

Mike Sacks says, "He fooled us, he fooled us.

That's where I felt so guilty. I was the one that told my daughter, I think you've got a good guy here, just give it some time, I think it will work out."

The family says their one ray of hope in this situation is that Gavin's mother, Jessica Sacks, decided to donate Gavin's organs, which was a total of eight.

They received word on Monday there might already be a heart recipient.

Michael Sacks says giving life to other children is the best way to ease the pain they've suffered over the last few days.

He says, "I'm really happy. I hope that there are families out there that haven't given up on God and they're going to be told that they're going to have the heart they need, the liver
they need, and that their baby is going to survive. They don't need to go through what we're going through right now."

http://www.14wfie.com/story/13892826/boy-1-beat-to-death-perry-co-man-charged

I can't help but try yet again to warn young mothers not to use their boyfriends to care for their children. Young men are ill equipped for it. This was not his baby. Quite frankly, a mother of a 1 year old child shouldn't even have an 18 year old boyfriend IMO. She had a choice to make when she got pregnant. Be a teenager or be a mother. You can't be both. The grandparents say the teenager Michael Arnold fooled them as they hadn't seen signs of anger. Well had they ever seen him under stress before? Had they ever seen how he handled frustration? He did what many teenage boys do. Couldn't control himself when angry and frustrated. I'm astounded that the grandparents encouraged the relationship between this kid and their daughter. Even now they still don't get it judging by their comments to media.
MOTHERS, GRANDPARENTS, DON'T USE TEENAGE BOYS AS BABYSITTERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE NOT RELATED TO THE BABY. READ WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS IN THE COUNTLESS CASES ON THIS BLOG!

Murder added to charges against Michael D. Arnold in Tell City, Ind., toddler death
Suspect's account of toddler's death trumped by child

By Jared Council
Posted January 24, 2011 at 11:25 p.m.

The Tell City, Ind., man charged with murder in the death of 23-month-old Gavin Aiden Sacks initially blamed the toddler's injuries on a 3-year-old girl, according to a police affidavit.

Michael D. Arnold, 18, called 911 a little after 10 a.m. Friday and reportedly told dispatchers "his daughter pushed his son off the bed and he was not moving."

The girl, who was not identified, told a different story, saying she saw Arnold strike Gavin, police said. As a result of the investigation and autopsy results, charges against Arnold have been upgraded to murder, battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14 and voluntary manslaughter, Perry County Prosecutor Rod Acchiardo said Monday.

Tell City Police Lt. Detective Alan Malone said Arnold is not the biological parent of either child, but was the boyfriend of Gavin's mother, Jessica Sacks.

When officers arrived Friday at the home at 632 16th St., Gavin was blue, police said, and emergency workers performed CPR before taking him to Perry County Memorial Hospital. He later was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center in Evansville, where he was pronounced dead Sunday morning.

Girl talks to police

Arnold reportedly told officers that Gavin must have fallen off the bed and that Arnold wasn't in the room at the time. But the 3-year-old girl told officers that Arnold "slammed" Gavin down and "punched" him in the stomach area.

Vanderburgh County Coroner Annie Groves on Monday ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma to the head.

In a later interview, Arnold reportedly admitted he played a role in Gavin's injuries, but said he didn't mean to hurt the boy.

He said he was angry at Gavin because the boy had used a profane word and also because he was "whining."

"Shut the (expletive) up and go play with your sister," the affidavit quoted Arnold as saying to Gavin before throwing the toddler onto a bed.

Arnold reportedly told officers Gavin hit his head on the wall, fell off the bed and Arnold thought he struck his head on the bed frame.

"(Gavin) just laid there," Arnold told police, adding that he thought to himself, "What the (expletive) did I just do?"

"I did not mean to launch him," Arnold reportedly told police.

Jessica Sacks could not be immediately reached, though her MySpace status Monday evening said: "i love u gavin aiden please keep mommy strong!! watch over her and let her knw ur r happy and okay! rip gavin aiden sacks he was only 1 years old ..."

Arnold was held in the Perry County Jail without bond.

Acchiardo said the courts have appointed attorney Gerald Thom to represent Arnold.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jan/24/murder-added-to-mans-charges/?partner=RSS

Tell City man sentenced for beating toddler to death

Submitted by Rich Miller, Web Producer
Thursday, September 8th, 2011, 2:44pm

Gavin Sacks

A Tell City man has been sentenced for the murder of a young child he was caring for last winter.

At a hearing Wednesday, Michael D. Arnold was given a 45-year prison sentence under terms of a plea agreement he had reached with the state in July.

Arnold pleaded guilty to causing the death of Gavin Sacks. The 23-month-old boy was found to have been beaten inside an apartment at 632 16th St. in January.  Arnold had been babysitting the child while the boy's mother was at work. He was rushed to St. Mary's Medical Center, but died two days later.

Arnold was given credit for 230 days served in the Perry County Jail.

http://spencer-perrycounty.14news.com/news/crime/48659-tell-city-man-sentenced-beating-toddler-death