GILBERT, Ariz. - A father is behind bars, accused of squeezing his 2-year-old son so hard -- he stopped breathing.
On Wednesday evening, authorities were called to the InnTown Suites near Guadalupe and Country Club to investigate a report of a child not breathing.
When they arrived at the scene, they found the boy to be unresponsive. He was taken to Cardon Children's Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies say 25-year-old Jonathan Cole killed his child out of frustration and even admitted his son struggled a few times to break free of him.
According to MCSO, Cole says he squeezed his young son's chest even harder until he stopped breathing and didn't call 911 until an hour and a half later.
"It is the state's understanding that the defendant squeezed the life out of his 2- year-old son with his bare hands," said Stephanie Lowe of the Maricopa County Attorney's office. "The defendant indicated that he did this out of some either real or percieved ongoing argument with his wife. In fact he wrote her a letter and told her the reason he did this is because he was angry with her."
At first, when Cole was questioned about his son's death, he asked investigators if a stuffed animal could cause suffocation.
When pressed further on the matter, investigators say Cole told them he wanted to go to jail.
Cole was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail. He faces first-degree murder and child abuse charges.
The boy’s autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
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