A Knox woman is facing charges, accused of shoving her 3-year-old stepson to the ground and injuring him so severely that he died.
It happened on Father's Day weekend, but charges were just filed Friday against Stacie Brown.
“He had a skull fracture, and he had severe swelling to the brain and multiple bruises to head as well as his back.”
That is how Nicholas Bourff, the Starke County prosecuting attorney, describes the lethal injuries that Ethan Hazen-Brown endured during a visit to his biological father and stepmother's house in Knox on Father's Day weekend.
It was there that the prosecutor says Stacy Brown shoved the boy to the ground when she got angry with him for fighting with his 18-month-old half-sister.
The boy was taken off life support a couple days later and died.
“It's still completely unbelievable,” said Kristen Siebold, the boy’s biological mother, “and it’s hard for me to still believe that he’s gone.”
Siebold, who lives in Illinois, told WSBT in a phone interview that she and her husband had primary custody of Ethan. She said she had suspicions for months about how he was being treated during his visits to Knox to see his dad and stepmother.
“Honestly, my mother’s instincts didn’t trust her from the beginning. I kind of wanted to just try to believe the best and hope for the best for him.”
The prosecutor says Stacie Brown waived her Miranda rights and gave a recorded statement to police.
In light of what happened to Ethan, she faces two counts: battery resulting in death and neglect of a dependent resulting in death
Ethan's biological mom says although there has been anger, she now prays for the woman who stands accused of causing Ethan's death.
“I always celled Ethan ‘My little life’ because he was so full of life and he was so full of joy,” she said.
