Police in California have arrested a
man in connection with the death of a 10-year-old boy who recently
said that he “liked boys.”
Deputies with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department arrested Kareem Leiva, 32, on Wednesday after
conducting an interview.
According to the Orange
County Register, Leiva was dating the mother of the boy,
Anthony Avalos. He was found unconscious in his home on Wednesday,
June 20 and died the following day in a hospital.
Avalos' body showed signs of
malnutrition and physical abuse, leading deputies to question the
family's version of events – that he had been injured in a fall.
Authorities said that Leiva was
arrested based on statements he made during an interview with police
conducted on Wednesday.
The
Los Angeles Times quoted the deputy director of the
Department of Children and Family services as saying that weeks
earlier, Avalos had “said he liked boys.”
While the mother is not considered a
suspect, the state has removed eight children from the home.