MARIETTA, Ga. — A Marietta father of a 5-year-old is accused of child cruelty, assault and aggravated battery after allegedly hurting a child so badly they were hospitalized and considered brain dead.
On Wednesday, the Marietta Police Department announced the child had died and a parental abuse investigation was underway.
Police said the parents called 911 on Sunday after performing CPR on their child for several minutes, telling officers their son was not breathing and was not responsive.
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The boy was found lying on the floor and was taken to Kennestone Hospital before being life-flighted to Arthur M. Blank Hospital in Atlanta.
Unfortunately, despite efforts to save the boy, he was pronounced dead just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
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Marietta detectives were called in to start a criminal investigation and secured warrants for the arrests of the mother and father on Monday.
Police said the two face a collective 12 felonies and were booked at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services was brought into the investigation and took custody of the couple’s other four children.
The mother and father face the following charges, currently:
- 31-year-old Alexiss Eitrem of Marietta: 5 counts of Cruelty to Child in the 2nd Degree (F).
- 31-year-old Michael Horn of Marietta: Aggravated Battery (F), Aggravated Assault (F), Cruelty to Child in the 1st Degree (F) and (4) counts of Cruelty to Child in the 2nd Degree (F).
“Based on evidence, it is likely that the charges taken Monday will be upgraded,” police said in a statement.
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