Photo: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
Indiana police say a hungry boy endured hours of pain last month before dying from an accidental overdose after swallowing methamphetamine that his father had allegedly left out in the open, PEOPLE confirms.
A probable cause affidavit in the case shows Curtis Collman II, 41, faces charges of neglect of a dependent, pointing a firearm, theft, possession of methamphetamine and intimidation after his son, 8-year-old Curtis Collman III, died in late June.
Investigators allege in the probable cause affidavit that Collman, of Crothersville, waited hours before calling 911, despite his son’s worsening condition after ingesting the drug.
The boy then happened upon Collman’s stash of methamphetamine, which he had left on a glass plate in his kitchen, authorities allege in the affidavit. Investigators suspect the boy ingested the drug — which is reddish-brown — when he mistook it for food crumbs in the family’s dimly-lit apartment.
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According to the affidavit, the female friend arrived at Collman’s home and went to call 911, but he refused to let her finish dialing. He also allegedly threatened to kill all three of them with a handgun that she said he brandished.
The friend fled Collman’s residence, at which point he drove the boy to his mother’s house, the affidavit states.
Collman’s mother urged her son to call 911, but he wouldn’t. The affidavit shows an unknown man in the home called police when Curtis stopped breathing.
Before officers arrived to take the boy to the hospital, where he later died, Collman allegedly told his mom he was going to kill himself and then drove off, according to the affidavit. He was subsequently taken into custody.
It was unclear Tuesday if Collman had entered a plea to the charges against him.
He remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail. His attorney could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
source: people.com
