TWO RIVERS, Wis. — Three people are accused of repeatedly abusing a 2-year-old boy at an apartment in Two Rivers, where the child was found dead on Friday. The child's mother is among the three defendants now facing criminal charges in the boy's death.
According to a probable cause statement, the mother, identified as Rena Santiago, was living an apartment with two other people, Bianca Bush and David Heiden. The court document says the admitted that the child has been hit by herself, Bush and Heiden over the past eight months. Court documents say the child was hit on numerous occasions with open hands, a belt and a shoe. The court document also lists a plastic toy, remote and water bottles as "weapons used" against the victim.
The probable cause statement says the victim had bruising on his head, legs, back, feet and arms.
Court documents also describe other forms of alleged abuse, accusing one of the defendants of shoving her fingers down the victim's throat to make him eat, and then making the victim eat his own vomit, and shaking him violently. A statement from David Heiden in the court document says he admitted to forcefully shaking the victim while yelling at him to go to sleep. According to the probable cause statement, Heiden says he thought the shaking is what killed the victim because of the force he used.
The probable cause statement says the mother admitted to smoking marijuana and doing marijuana dabs, along with her two roommates, while the child was in the apartment. The probable cause statement also says the mother was having sex for money, in the bedroom where the victim slept.
All three adults are now facing child abuse charges. Some of the defendants are also facing prostitution and drug charges. The three appeared in Manitowoc County Circuit Court Monday where bond was set at $100,000 for each.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
