A Homosassa, Fla. man has been charged with suffocating his 1-year-old son. Police said that he had done so because the toddler kept him from his video games.
Cody Wygant, 24, is currently being held at Citrus County Jail on $100,000 bail, reports The Tampa Bay Tribune. He has been charged with third-degree murder and willful child neglect, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
According to the Associated Press, Wygant’s son, Daymeon, was found unresponsive when emergency responders arrived at the home Thursday morning. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wygant allegedly told investigators that Daymeon was crying uncontrollably, which kept him away from his XBox game. He covered the child’s mouth with his hand for three minutes, which made the boy lethargic. Next, he put Daymeon in a playpen, piling bedding on top of the child, covering his entire body - including the head.
He then played the game for another 90 minutes and switched to episodes of Fringe. Five hours after covering Daymeon, he finally checked on him, calling police at 8:15 a.m.
Wygant was living with his girlfriend and they also share a 3-month-old daughter. The sheriff’s office said that he has an extensive criminal record in California, where he grew up. He will be back in court on May 23.
Their daughter is now in the Department of Children & Families' custody.