An Arizona man was arrested after authorities discovered his son’s decomposing body on the couch in his home. Joseph Gregory Antonsen, 38, was arrested following the gruesome discovery of his 9-year-old son’s body at his Picture Rocks-area residence on Sunday, July 14, according to police reports. Republic of Arizona citing a police press release.
Antonsen is being held on $500,000 bail and faces charges of child abuse and negligent homicide, according to jail records posted online. It was not immediately clear whether he pleaded guilty to the charges or had retained an attorney.
Authorities were conducting a welfare check at the property when they found Antonsen’s son lifeless on the couch. The boy’s body “was in the process of decomposing,” the police said. Republic of Arizonaquoting the police press release.
Court documents, cited by the Arizona Republic, state that Antonsen told officers that her son had been sick two days before the discovery. She said she wanted to take the child to the doctor, but the boy began “convulsing and going limp.”
Antonsen allegedly started his car to take his son to the doctor, but upon returning home, he noticed that the child was not breathing and had no pulse. Despite this, Antonsen allegedly left the house for a while, knowing that he should have called for help, The documents allege.
The property was reportedly in deplorable condition, littered with trash, empty beer cans, large piles of soiled diapers, rotting food, bottles filled with urine and significant insect activity, including black widow spiders and brown recluses, according to Cold.
Neighbors provided more context to the tragic situation. One neighbor, whose daughter used to play with the boy, said AZ Family that she hadn’t seen the boy for about a month. “Her son was really cute. He was a very friendly kid,” she said. “He was very polite. He was much friendlier than his father.”
Another neighbor mentioned that she thought the house was abandoned, highlighting the neglect and isolation that surrounds the residence.
The case has shocked the community and raised questions about the circumstances that led to the boy’s death and the conditions in which he was living. While the investigation continues, authorities are working to reconstruct the events that led to this heartbreaking outcome.
If you suspect child abuse has occurred, call Childhelp’s National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 170 languages.
