CHRISTIAN LAMOUR - 5 yo (2011) Convicted: Mother and Boyfriend - Virginia Beach VA

The father of a 5-year-old boy who died one week ago is dealing with
his grief. Police charged the mother's boyfriend with child abuse a few days later. Che
Ernest Hazell, 29, of the 600 block of Arthur Avenue in Virginia Beach,
was taken into police custody on April 6 and charged with assault and
battery of a family member and child abuse and neglect.

Hazell is
a student at Tidewater Community College and served in the Navy from
1999 to 2010. Hazell waived a bond hearing Thursday and remains in the
Virginia Beach City Jail. Investigators say the child's mother
took the toddler, Christian Lamour, to the hospital on Monday, April 4
because he was complaining of stomach pains. He died later that day.

"To my son, I was his Superman, but even Superman needed a son and he was mine," said Christian's father Ashley Lamour. Lamour
last saw his son at Christmas in Virginia Beach, where he and his
6-year-old live with their mother, Lamour's ex-wife. He said his son
loved to play. "I want a piggy back ride, played video games together. He loved playing the Ninja Turtles video games," said Lamour. Lamour said he heard about his son's death the day after it happened. "I received an email from my ex-wife. I called her and she told me my son had passed away," said Lamour. Lamour said he immediately felt like he failed to protect his son because he was out of town. "I
just want him to know wherever he is, we love him very very much. We
miss him very very much and I will do everything in my power to stay
strong for his sister," said Lamour. An autopsy was conducted and
the cause of death remains under investigation. Lamour said a memorial
service is planned for Tuesday in Virginia Beach.
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/father-mourns-son%27s-death,-man-charged

WTKR
Update: 5-year-old boy's death is linked to physical abuse

WTKR-TV3

April 11, 2011

VIRGINIA BEACH
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Police say Che Hazell is accused of assaulting his live-in girlfriend's 5-year-old son.

Virginia Beach police say the boy was taken to Portsmouth Naval Medical Center earlier this month for stomach problems. He died that same day.

A medical examiner's report shows the boy's death is linked to physical abuse.

Investigators say Hazell assaulted the boy the day before he was taken to the hospital at the family's Arthur Avenue home. They won't say what happened, but they say the evidence that was found was enough to charge Hazell with felony child abuse and assault on a family member.

"In most cases, our child is sometimes an infant, but in this case he is a little bit older than a toddler. But they're defenseless. They really don't have a way of defending themselves in front of a full grown adult," says Officer Adam Bernstein.

Police say Hazell has lived with the family for years.

Newschannel 3 has also learned more about Hazell's past. He was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana, responsible for administrative duties. He served the Navy for more than 10 years before getting out in February.

Tonight Hazell is being held without bond in the Virginia Beach Correctional Center.

Hazell's case is now in the hands of the Commonwealth's Attorney's office. Newschannel 3 is told Prosecutors will decide if Hazell will face any other charges.

http://virginiabeach.wtkr.com/news/news/update-5-year-old-boys-death-linked-physical-abuse/50460

Updated: Monday, 03 Oct 2011, 8:34 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 03 Oct 2011, 8:34 PM EDT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A Virginia Beach grand jury indicted a woman on Monday in connection with the death of her son.

30-year-old Christy Lamour is charged with second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child cruelty/neglect/abuse and cruelty/injury to children.

In April, 5-year-old Christian Lamour was taken to the hospital with stomach pains.

He died later that day.

Police also charged Lamour's boyfriend, 30-year-old Che Hazell, with the boy's death.

Hazell is also charged with second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child cruelty/neglect/abuse and cruelty/injury to children.

Christian's father was out of the country when he died.

Lamour had custody of the boy and his 6-year-old sister.

http://www.fox43tv.com/dpps/news/local/va_beach/mom,-boyfriend-indicted-in-boy's-death_3956918

By Kristin Davis
Ruth Moon
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 18, 2011
VIRGINIA BEACH

A Circuit Court judge on Monday denied bond for a woman accused in the April death of her 5-year-old son, Macie Pridgen, spokeswoman for the commonwealth's attorney's office, said.

A grand jury indicted Christy Ronsha Lamour, 30, this month on charges of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, cruelty or injury to children, and child cruelty, neglect or abuse.

Lamour's boyfriend, Che Ernest Hazell, also 30, faces the same charges. They lived in the 600 block of Arthur Ave.

Christian Lamour died of infection from a lacerated small intestine, which was the result of blunt force trauma to his abdomen, a medical examiner testified at Hazell's preliminary hearing in July.

Hazell told police he spanked Christian with a belt and pushed him forward onto the floor a day before his death because the boy was playing with his hands while in timeout for dropping a dish, Detective Donald Swasey testified.

Christian complained of an aching stomach and vomited several times during the day, Swasey testified. He was in pain throughout the night and awoke with a swollen belly, he said.

Lamour took Christian to Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, where the boy later died.

Hazell will stand trial Jan. 11, online court records show.

Lamour's trial is scheduled for Feb. 13, Pridgen said.


http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/bond-denied-va-beach-mother-sons-death

Christy Lamour arrived at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center early the
morning of April 4, 2011, with the limp, swollen body of her 5-year-old
son in the back seat.

Doctors rushed outside and tried for 45 minutes to revive Christian Lamour, but they were never able to restart his heart.

Lamour told doctors, police detectives and social workers she thought
her son had come down with the flu or a stomach virus. She explained
away his bruises by telling them he'd fallen off his bunk bed.

But child abuse experts knew something more would have had to cause
the child's swollen belly, sunken eyes, fractured bones and bruises.
Detectives worked through the night, questioning Lamour and her
boyfriend, Che Hazell, for 13 hours before charging Hazell in
Christian's death.

Six months later, a grand jury indicted Lamour as well.

They both took the stand Monday, admitting to having disciplined
Christian but denying using the type of force doctors said would have
been required to cause his death.

Circuit Judge Les Lilley said he didn't believe them, concluding a
four-day bench trial by convicting both of felony child abuse and
neglect, child cruelty and second-degree murder. The two, both 30 years
old, remain in jail without bond and are scheduled for sentencing Aug.
28.

An autopsy found Christian died from a blow that caused his bowel to
tear, filling his belly with stomach acid and bacteria and leading to
repeated vomiting, infection and severe dehydration, testified Dr.
Suzanne Starling, a child abuse expert at Children's Hospital of The
King's Daughters.

A few sutures most likely would have saved him if someone had taken him to a hospital sooner, Starling said.

Lamour testified she didn't realize how sick her son was, though his
moaning woke her several times overnight, and she never saw Hazell
strike Christian.

But Hazell's 10-year-old daughter testified that on the morning
before the boy died she watched as her father- infuriated that Christian
wasn't complying with a timeout for throwing his plate into the sink
after breakfast - punched the boy in the stomach as Lamour watched
nearby. He collapsed, clutching his stomach, and threw up, she said.

For the next roughly 19 hours, Christian suffered, slipping into a
pain-induced psychosis as his organs slowly failed, Starling testified.
It would've been clear something was seriously wrong, she said.

But Lamour delayed taking Christian to a hospital, instead placating
him with juice and Motrin, because she was protecting Hazell and feared a
second Child Protective Services investigation into the boy's treatment
at home, prosecutors argued. The couple lived less than four miles from
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital.

"This was a beaten child, there's no question," prosecutor Katherine
Orsini said. "Christian suffered for 19 hours before he finally died at
the hands of the people who were supposed to take care of him and did
nothing."

Lamour and Hazell's defense attorneys argued the two had erred, but not criminally.

"There were a lot of bad decisions, absolutely, made in this
situation," attorney James A. Evans told Lilley during closing
arguments. "You have to decide whether those decisions rise to the level
of being criminal in nature."

When Lilley announced his verdict, Christian's father, Ashley Lamour,
put his head in his hands and wept. He was overseas when Christian died
and testified he last saw his son before Christmas.

Christian's last meal was pancakes, eaten in his pajamas.
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/va-beach-couple-convicted-5yearold-boys-death