North Carolina Man Whose Abuse Led To A Child's Death Arrested, Charged With First-Degree Murder
April 15 2022, Published 12:32 p.m. ET
A man accused of abusing a 6-week-old that led to his death was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in North Carolina, according to a report.
Fox 8 reports that 42-year-old Van Custudio had his charges upgraded from child abuse to first-degree murder after a boy he was in the process of adopting died at the hospital Wednesday, according to Gastonia police.
The child went into cardiac arrest earlier this month.
Police and medics went to Prancer Lane around 10 a.m. April 1 after the child went into cardiac arrested, Fox 8 reports.They took the boy to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and he later died, according to Fox 8.
Fox 8 reports officers determined the injuries were consistent with physical abuse, according to a police report.
According to The Associated Press, Custudio was a full-time assistant professor at Belmont Abbey College, though his information was not listed on the school's webpage. The man's LinkedIn page says he was an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington at the beginning of 2022.
Police continue to investigate the incident and ask anyone with information to call Detective J. Loftin at 704-866-6702.