Police are investigating a Florida father for smothering his crying son so he could play Xbox and watch TV.
Cody Wygant, the 24-year-old father, is charged with third degree murder and child neglect, the Associated Press reports.
Emergency crews, reporting to the crime scene, noted that Wygant’s 16-month-old son Daymeon was not breathing. The child was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Wygant told investigators he was frustrated because his son was crying uncontrollably, preventing him from playing his Xbox games. He covered the boy’s nose and mouth for three to four minutes, then placed him in a playpen pulling the bedding over his body and head, police said. Wygant continued playing video games and watching television shows for five hours, When he went to check on Daymeon, the toddler was blue and unresponsive. Wygant’s girlfriend, also the child’s mother, was not home during the alleged murder.
The parents provided officials with differing tales of the incident. They originally said Daymeon was placed in the playpen at 7 a.m. Wygant later said he was placed in the playpen at 1 a.m. Officials will wait for the results of an autopsy for clues on the official time of death. The mother, who is not named by law enforcement, will not face charges.
Wygant and his girlfriend also have a 3-year-old daughter. She is now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.