Dakota Levi Stevens ran to a neighbor’s home on April 25, informing them that his foster parents had been hitting him and preventing him from contacting his caseworker, according to Indiana officials.
Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, his foster mother, discovered him speaking with the neighbor shortly thereafter and compelled Stevens to get into her car. She then drove him back to her residence, as detailed in court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.
Allegedly, Wilson, who weighs 340 pounds, proceeded to lie on top of the child for at least seven minutes until he ceased breathing.
A warrant has been issued for Wilson’s arrest, charging her with reckless homicide in connection with the boy’s death.
Stevens was pronounced dead at a South Bend hospital two days later. An autopsy revealed he suffered from organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging, and other injuries, according to CBS News.
The St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office ruled Stevens’ death a homicide, attributing it to mechanical asphyxiation.
Prosecutors disclosed that Wilson and her husband were prepared to relinquish their foster care license because their three older adopted children necessitated travel.
However, they opted to take Stevens in after providing him respite care two years earlier.
Stevens’ biological family recounted to the Chicago Tribune that he and his younger sister had been removed from their parents’ home due to drug use when he was five years old. His father passed away, and his mother later relinquished her parental rights. Stevens’ sister was subsequently adopted, while Stevens himself moved among relatives, foster homes, and a mental health care facility before returning to live with Wilson in early April.
Wilson claimed the boy exhibited “verbal and physical aggression issues.”
On April 25, Wilson told police Stevens woke up upset after being admonished not to run indoors while playing with Nerf guns with other children, according to CBS News. She indicated she allowed Stevens and the other children to play outside once they had finished their chores, but Stevens refused and stormed away.
Initially planning to give him time to calm down, Wilson noticed he wasn’t in the backyard and began searching for him in her car.
Wilson found Stevens conversing with a neighbor who informed her that the boy had asked her to call the police. Wilson later told police she instructed the neighbor to mind her own business, court documents state.
Reportedly, Wilson forced Stevens into her car and returned him to her residence, where she claims he attempted to flee.
She told police she could not recall whether she tackled Stevens or if both fell to the ground, but stated her intention was to restrain him.
Over the next few minutes, Wilson purportedly video chatted with Stevens’ caseworker, who tried to calm him over the phone while he “flailed and moved around.”
Wilson also conversed with her husband via their Ring doorbell camera while lying on Stevens’ midsection near the driveway, according to court records.
She allegedly told her husband that Stevens was having “one of his days.”
After several minutes, Wilson ceased her actions, explaining to police that she became breathless due to her weight and noticed Stevens was unresponsive.
She then instructed Stevens to get up and inquired if he was feigning unconsciousness, according to court documents.
“Wilson then rolled [Stevens] over and observed that his eyelids appeared pale,” the documents said.
“She then initiated CPR and called 911.”
Deputies from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of an unconscious 10-year-old who was not breathing at the residence around 3:37 pm, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Stevens was found on the ground near the driveway, where someone was administering CPR.
Authorities noted Stevens was unconscious, not breathing, and lacked a pulse at the time. An officer observed bruising on his lower neck and chest area.
A police affidavit stated Wilson appeared visibly distressed when deputies arrived, stating Stevens had recently run to a neighbor’s home but was still acting out and throwing himself on the ground.
“Wilson stated she lay on his midsection and contacted his caseworker,” the affidavit stated, as reported by the Tribune.
“She stated he eventually stopped moving and she thought he was feigning unconsciousness.”
“She indicated she laid on him for approximately five minutes.”
During the ensuing investigation, police obtained footage from Wilson’s Ring camera, which reportedly showed her lying across the boy near his head and neck from the outset.
Police stated Stevens was screaming in the 20-second video, and continued to cry and scream in the subsequent 20-second clip. In a third video, Wilson was still atop Stevens, near his buttocks, with his arms above his head, and he remained motionless throughout the entire six-minute, 48-second clip.
Meanwhile, Wilson could be heard remarking, “I was lying on him and he was misbehaving.”
Initially taken to Northwest Health Porter for treatment, Stevens was later airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital.
A doctor at Northwest Health subsequently informed police Stevens exhibited severe brain swelling, indicative of prolonged oxygen deprivation.
“He didn’t deserve this. He was better than a lot of people here,” Nicole Rubalcava, Stevens’ aunt, remarked at his private funeral, according to the Tribune.
Wilson’s foster care license was suspended pending revocation, pending any appeals, after the coroner classified Stevens’ death as a homicide.
Wilson had been a licensed foster parent since 2017 and maintained good standing prior to Stevens’ death, having completed the requisite training and education, according to Indiana Department of Child Services officials quoted by the Tribune.
However, her license was ultimately revoked on June 30.
