Man killed son, 2, then tried to get dad to take fall: DA
Share this @internewscast.com

Left inset: James VanderLeest (Brown County Jail). Center inset: Leo Escalante (GoFundMe). Right inset: David VanderLeest (Brown County Jail). Background: James VanderLeest’s home on the east side of Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Leo Escalante reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries (WFRV/YouTube).

A man from Wisconsin is accused of killing his 2-year-old son and attempting to have his father cover up the crime while also seeking his assistance to avoid arrest. According to prosecutors, he later told authorities that the child had an accident and fell down a staircase while under the care of his grandfather.

According to police reports, James VanderLeest, 21, stated that his son, Leo Escalante, had fallen down a staircase on June 22 while he was being looked after by his father, David VanderLeest, 48. However, the child’s autopsy revealed the cause of death to be due to an “acute incident,” rather than a fall, as reported by Fox affiliate WLUK.

James VanderLeest has not been formally charged yet but is expected to face multiple felonies related to Escalante’s death. The young man’s father is also behind bars and set to be charged for allegedly helping his son flee and hide in a relative’s cabin while cops were looking for him, WLUK reports.

David VanderLeest says he was trying to stop his son James from dying by suicide, and was not doing anything to intentionally obstruct the police investigation.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

“There was 20 to 25 minutes that David and James stayed in the house barricading themselves and weren’t coming out until they did a flash bomb,” said Florence County Deputy District Attorney Wendy Lemkuil in court this week, per WLUK.

“To indicate he was anything other than obstructive is ridiculous,” Lemkuil said.

James and David VanderLeest both appeared in court Monday, with the younger man’s bail being set at $2 million and David VanderLeest getting a $100,000 cash bond. The elder VanderLeest claimed he was never at his son’s house, as police allege he was, when Leo suffered his fatal injuries.

“The facts in this case are what they are,” David VanderLeest said. “My statement, the written statement I gave, did not say that I was there. It did not say that, you could read the statement if it wasn’t sealed. Never in the statement did it say I was at the house.”

David VanderLeest added, “We’re allowing prosecutors just to lie against the VanderLeest family, it’s normally what happens in this town.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Georgia Twins, Age 5, Accidentally Discharge Found Gun: Police Report

Inset: Lanecia Bennett. Background: Apartment in Decatur, Georgia, where Bennett”s 5-year-old son…

US Officials Pursue Terrorism and Assault Charges in Walmart Knife Incident

A man accused of entering a Walmart in the United States and…

Father-In-Law Murders Daughter-In-Law at Hotel Amid Divorce Proceedings: Police

Inset: Roland Schmidt (Schaumburg police). Background: Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, where Schmidt…

Alina Habba Responds to Judges: ‘Overruled and Taken Down’

On the left: Donald Trump addressing attendees at an election night watch…

Court Halts Trump’s Efforts to Eliminate Funding for DEI and History Initiatives

President Donald Trump participates in a gathering with the Fraternal Order of…

“GP Practice Ban Maintained Following Controversial Online Remarks on Abortion and Race”

A doctor who posted dozens of anti-abortion rants online and described medics…

Father Who Killed Wife and 10-Month-Old Son Learns His Sentence

Inset: Jeremy Best. Background: Vehicle where cops found Best”s murdered infant son…

Police Report Man Attacking Elderly Customers in Walmart Stabbing Incident

Left inset: Bradford Gille (Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: The folding…

69-Year-Old Man Fatally Shoots Wife’s Lover at Flea Market, Police Say

Share copy link Inset: Omar Rene Aguila (Miami-Dade Corrections). Background: Northside Shopping…

Gainesville Man Detained Following Forest Pursuit and Arrest Warrant

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Reginald Lawson Gill, 56, was apprehended yesterday…

Two Texas Felons Charged with Violent Crimes, Including Sexual and Aggravated Assault, Released on Bond

The 263rd Criminal Court Judge in Houston has granted two men convicted…

Arizona Police Discover Four Children Locked in a Sweltering Car While Father Visits Adult Bookstore

Four children are lucky to be alive after their father allegedly left…