LEVI BARRETT - 2 yo - Dayton OH

- A mother and her boyfriend have just been arrested in connection with the death of her two year old. They are both facing child endangering charges.
2 News had the only crew there Thursday night as the boyfriend was loaded into a cruiser.
Officers say he was headed for the hospital and then to jail.
Police say he told them the toddler, Levi Barrett, fell down the stairs Wednesday night then stopped breathing Thursday morning.
Officers say the child suffered multiple injuries.
2 News will stay with this story throughout the day Friday as police plan to release more information.

http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/dayton/couple-arrested-after-childs-death

In his two years of life, officials say Levi Barrett experienced more
pain than anyone should over an entire lifetime, and now the boyfriend
of his mother is being charged with his death.

"This is
probably one of the worst cases the coroner's office has seen on trauma
inflicted to a young person," says Ken Betz, Director of the Montgomery
County Coroner's Office.

A 2 News Investigation has revealed that officials had concerns about what was going on at the home where Barrett died.

Barrett's biological father had even tried to get custody of him more than a year ago.

The
coroner's office ruled Barrett's death a homicide caused by blunt force
trauma. Officials say the autopsy done Friday showed that Barrett
suffered for a while.

"This is significant and severe, the amount of marks and the amount of trauma on this child," Betz says.

2
News was there exclusively Thursday as police arrested the boyfriend of
Barrett's mother, 26-year-old Joe Watson. Watson is charged with
murder, endangering children and felonious assault.

They also took Barrett's mother, 22-year old Michelle Mooty into custody.

Mooty is charged with permitting child abuse.

Watson
reportedly told police that Barrett had fallen down the stairs at a
home in the 100 block of Shoop but seemed okay, only to be found not
breathing the next day.

Officials say evidence from the autopsy disputes that claim.

"There's
a difference between normal child activity and something absolutely
beyond as far the amount and significance of injury and that's what
we're concerned about with this child," Betz says.

2 News has discovered that others did have questions about the child's safety.

Children's
Services had opened a case with the family on November 18th and one
visit had been paid to the home just a little more than a week ago, but
officials say it wasn't enough time to take action.

A spokesperson says the agency has seen an increase in cases like this one in the past decade.

"I
think the biggest reason is people don't know how to control their
anger," says Ann Stevens with Montgomery County Job and Family Services.
"That's so important when dealing with small children."

Three other children in the home have been removed by Children's Services and are now living with relatives.

Court
records show Barrett's father tried to get custody of him in 2010,
writing "I love my son very much and I am more than willing to do
whatever it takes to be involved in his life."

http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/dayton/child-died-from-blunt-force-trauma

Joe Watson entered not guilty pleas to two counts of murder, one
count of felonious assault and three counts of child endangering.


Investigators believe Watson is responsible for the death of his girlfriend's two-year-old son. The two-year-old's mother Michelle Mooty is charged with permitting child abuse.
She pled not guilty to that charge.
Her bond was set at $25,000 and Watson's bond was set at $500,000.
http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/baby-homocide-suspect-in-court

Another baby beat to death by a POS boyfriend and the mother allows it. She cares more about s@x than her own baby. :::slut:::

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytoncourts/entries/2011/12/19/mother_and_boyfriend_indicted.html

DAYTON — A Montgomery County grand jury has indicted both the mother of 2-year-old Levi Barrett and her boyfriend on multiple felony charges in connection with the boy’s death.

Levi died Dec. 8 at Children’s Medical Center of Dayton from multiple blunt force trauma, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. The coroner ruled the death a homicide.

Joe C. Watson, IV was indicted Friday on two counts of murder, one count of felonious assault and four counts of child endangering. Levi’s mother, Michelle Mooty, was indicted on three felonies: permitting child abuse, complicity to commit felonious assault and endangering children.

Watson told Dayton detectives Levi fell down a set of stairs on Dec. 7 at 121 Shoop Ave., the home of Watson’s parents. He said the child did not appear to be injured and was put to bed that night. Watson said when he woke up then next morning, he discovered the toddler in distress and rushed him to the hospital.

Sgt. Dan Mauch of the homicide unit said Watson’s story did not match the coroner’s findings. Detectives said Levi appeared to have been systematically beaten and abused.

Watson has been in the county jail since his Dec. 8 arrest. Mooty, 22, has been free since posting $25,000 bail on Dec. 12.

On Nov. 28, a Children Services Bureau caseworker visited Levi’s family. Children Services had opened a case with the family Nov. 18 on a referral, said Ann Stevens of Montgomery County Jobs & Family Services. Details of the referral and home visits are not public records under state law.

Mooty does not live at the Shoop address, and detectives believe she and Watson have a shared parenting agreement even though Levi is not Watson’s biological son. The couple do have a 6-month-old daughter.

Mooty’s other three children, who range in age from 6 months to 6 years, are with relatives, Stevens said.

According to police and court records, Watson has several arrests on charges of domestic violence. Those charges were dropped in Municipal Court when the victims did not show up for hearings.

On Oct. 18, Mooty called police to the Shoop address to complain that Watson had slapped her in the face in front of her children. She told police he had “anger problems,” according to the police report.

Dayton Man Gets 15 Years To Life In Toddler’s Death

December 12, 2012 9:42 AM

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man accused of abusing and killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

A jury found 27-year-old Joe Watson IV guilty last month of murder and three counts of child endangering. He was sentenced in Dayton on Tuesday.

Watson was arrested in December 2011 following the death of Levi Barrett. Police said Watson took the child to the hospital, where he died as the result of blunt force trauma.

Watson apologized in court and told the judge he “didn’t mean to hit him that hard.”

The child’s mother, 23-year-old Michelle Mooty, is charged with permitting child abuse. She’s due in court next week.

Judge Frances McGee said Levi’s family failed him because no one stepped in to stop the abuse.

http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2012/12/12/dayton-man-gets-15-years-to-life-in-toddlers-death/