A BOY begged his neighbor for help just minutes before his foster mom allegedly sat on him, causing him to suffocate and die.
Little Dakota Levi Stevens, 10, died on April 25 after Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, allegedly sat on his body for at least seven minutes.
Dakota Levi Stevens, 10 years old, was allegedly suffocated to death by his foster momCredit: Facebook
Jennifer Lee Wilson was arrested for reckless homicide in the boy’s deathCredit: Facebook
Wilson was attempting to stop her foster son from leaving their home in Northwest Indiana, according to a court filing.
She laid on his chest for a prolonged period of time and asked Dakota if he was faking it after he stopped moving, according to local NBC affiliate WMAQ.
Wilson eventually realized the boy was unconscious and his eyelids were pale, began CPR, and called 911, court documents say.
When the police arrived, an officer found bruising on the boy’s lower neck and chest.
Dakota had no pulse, and first responders attempted to resuscitate him before he was airlifted to hospital.
The boy stayed in hospital for two days before he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy found that Dakota died of mechanical asphyxiation.
He suffered from organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging, and other injuries.
Court papers stated that Wilson weighed 340 pounds while little Dakota weighed 90 pounds.
Wilson has been arrested and charged with reckless homicide in the boy’s death.
FINAL MOMENTS
Wilson’s neighbor told police Dakota had come to her house about half an hour before and asked her to adopt him.
He had said his parents were hitting him in the face and weren’t letting him call his caseworker.
The neighbor reported that she could not see any signs of harm to the boy.
Wilson told cops that Dakota had been placed in her and her husband’s care earlier that month.
The couple initially declined to take Dakota in but eventually agreed, as they had cared for him two years before.
Wilson and her husband had adopted Dakota, along with two other 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren they had also previously had in foster care.
These 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren had also been fostered by Wilson and her husband, and the couple had since adopted them.
Wilson claimed Dakota had issues with verbal and physical aggression but had never run away before.
Wilson said her foster son was irritated and refused to do his chores on the day of the incident.
He reportedly walked out of the door to a neighbor’s house and asked them to call the police.
Police reviewed Ring doorbell footage that showed Wilson lying on top of Dakota as he screamed.
A later clip showed Wilson still on top of the boy, but he was not moving.
Wilson can be heard saying in the footage, “I was laying on him, and he was acting bad.”
The video also showed her telling her husband via Ring that Dakota was having “one of his days.”
Authorities say Wilson was arrested on July 14 in New Buffalo, Michigan, after a license plate camera reader detected her vehicle.
Dakota reportedly ran away from home and asked his neighbor to adopt him shortly before the incidentCredit: Facebook