A 41-year-old man from Orange County has been charged with murder and torture in the death of a 6-year-old boy he was babysitting, allegedly beating him to death with a piece of lumber late last month.
The tragic and horrifying incident occurred on Aug. 29 after the victim, identified as Chance Crawford, completed his third day of first grade and was dropped off at Ernest Lamar Love’s barbershop in Placentia around 6:30 p.m.
Prosecutors said Love was babysitting the child while the boy’s mother worked the night shift as a nurse’s assistant at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
In a news release , the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said Love grew violent with the child after he reportedly urinated in his pants at a local park.
Authorities said security cameras captured the 41-year-old entering his barbershop at around 11 p.m. with a “large piece of raw lumber with a reluctant Chance following behind him.”
“Love is accused of beating the first grader with the piece of lumber, then pouring hydrogen peroxide on the open wounds before forcing the boy to do push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks,” the release detailed.