A Washington state father is facing serious charges following the tragic death of his 4-year-old son, whose body was reportedly found buried beneath their home. The arrest took place on Thursday.
Jacob Bevins, 36, has been charged with several felonies, including second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Additionally, he faces charges for unlawfully disposing of remains and providing false information to law enforcement, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle.
The case came to light on May 12 when Aberdeen police officers encountered Bevins after his 6-year-old daughter was reported missing. According to the report, she was later found safe with her mother.
However, during the investigation, authorities noticed that another child, 4-year-old Aiden Bevins, was unaccounted for. Initially, Jacob Bevins claimed Aiden was staying with relatives in another state, but those relatives denied having seen the boy, according to FOX 13.
Under further questioning, Bevins reportedly confessed to striking Aiden on the head, resulting in the boy’s death, as detailed by local news outlet KING 5.
During subsequent questioning, the father admitted to striking the 4-year-old on the head and killing him, local outlet KING 5 reported.
He later changed his story, claiming he was chasing his son to the bathroom and he fell and hit his head.
Remains belonging to the child, who had been missing for about a year, were found May 15 inside a garbage bag underneath the house, according to the outlet.
“My daughter said she saw dirt between the tree and the house,” Tammy Pratt, who lives in a nearby duplex, told FOX 13.
“I have grandkids that come here and play too. I won’t let them go back there.”
Officials found the child’s injuries resulted from blunt force trauma, inconsistent with the father’s story, KING 5 reported.
Both children had previously been in the foster care system before being returned to their biological parents, former foster parents Gary and Magali Lopez told the outlet.
They cited concerns about the children’s health and safety, noting they contacted Child Protective Services multiple times.
