SUTTON, W.Va. – A West Virginia man is facing multiple charges in connection with the beating death of his toddler stepson, authorities said.
The WV News reported Wednesday that Samuel Thomas Workman, 33, is facing charges of child abuse and neglect resulting in death after the 3-year-old boy died at a Braxton County hospital.
West Virginia State Police said they arrived at a home on Turnpike Road in Braxton County on Tuesday after Workman called 911 to report that his stepson was unresponsive, according to WOWK-TV. Police documents said the boy, who had suffered “visible bruises and trauma all over the body,” was rushed to Braxton County Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead, WV News reported.
A doctor told investigators that the child’s injuries appeared to result from abuse, according to WV News. In addition, an officer who responded to the hospital noticed that Workman had wounds on his hands and blood on his clothes, the newspaper reported.
When investigators spoke to Workman, he said he found the child unresponsive when he returned home after smoking marijuana at a friend’s house, WOWK reported. Workman claimed that he performed CPR on the child for at least 20 minutes, then called for help, according to WV News.
Workman was arrested and jailed on a $250,000 bond, WV News reported.
