Mom says boyfriend put box over dying son's head to 'muffle breathing sound'
DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - An arrest report for a Denton mother accused of injury to a child in connection with the death of her 7-year-old son, Phoenix Ho, details the child's heart-wrenching last days.
Officers arrested Sabrina Ho on April 5 after interviewing her a second time following Phoenix's death.
According to an arrest report, during an interview with detectives, Ho admitted she knew her boyfriend, Todd Lofton Shaw, 52, was abusing her son. The report describes the child's injuries as: a bruised eye, numerous abrasions and bruising on his face, swelling on his neck, bruises all over his body, a burn on his shoulder, puncture wounds and several other injuries.
Sabrina Ho told detectives that she has dated Shaw off and on for several months. And despite having "ample time" to leave Shaw in the four weeks he was allegedly abusing her son, she didn't. Ho didn't seek any medical attention for her son either, for fear of "getting into trouble," the report said.
In the report, Ho admitted to keeping the 2nd-grader out of school for three weeks to conceal the alleged abuse.
Ho told police that she was in her bedroom at about 2 p.m. on April 1 when Shaw called for her to come into the hallway saying something was wrong with her son. She said the child was on the ground, having trouble breathing and that his eyes were rolled back in his head.
Five hours later Ho called 911.
She told detectives that during that time she watched as Shaw "constructed a box to place over the victim's head to muffle the breathing as it became louder and louder."
Paramedics found Phoenix unconscious at a home in the 1600 block of E. McKinney Street. They took him to the hospital where he later died.
