Octavia Aquino, Evansville, Indiana 4 year old girl mystery death after mom’s 16 year old live in boyfriend admits biting her (after previously blaming cat). Mom id as 23 year old Destiny Rhoades and boyfriend as Christian Gonzalez.
An Indiana woman and her 16-year-old boyfriend are facing charges surrounding the mystery death of the woman’s 4 year old daughter over the weekend.
Octavia Aquino was found to have very little brain activity after Evansville police were called to her home on Friday and the girl placed on life support. The girl’s mother, Destiny Rhoades, 23, claimed she found her not breathing — and officers noted she had a bite mark on her arm and bruises on her legs and neck — which the woman conceded occurring after her 16 year old ‘live in’ boyfriend ‘biting’ her the day before.
The boyfriend was identified as 16 year old teen, Christian T. Gonzalez who initially denied biting the girl, saying the bite mark was caused by a cat.
Boyfriend had escaped from detention facility
Gonzalez allegedly relented and admitted to biting Aquino after Rhoades lied and claimed there was a camera in the living room. Rhoades claimed Gonzalez said he bit her daughter because she bit him first, the Courier & Press reported.
Rhoades told police that her daughter accused Gonzalez of biting her while covering her mouth.
But there’s more.
Gonzalez is classified as a missing teen from Fort Wayne — and Rhoades has a protective order issued against her for helping her boyfriend escape from a detention facility in Evansville and run away from his guardian.
Charges upgraded
Rhoades reportedly told police that her daughter was behaving oddly and only ate a bag of Cheetos after the biting incident. She also claimed her daughter had vomited, but she believed it was due to anxiety.
Come Sunday, Octavia died, with an autopsy now scheduled this week to determine her cause of death.
Rhoades was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The boyfriend was initially charged with battery resulting in serious injury but had charges upgraded to murder and is to now be tried in an adult court, 14News reported.
Gonzalez on Monday afternoon was moved to Vanderburgh County jail.
