Man recorded himself abusing girlfriend's 8-year-old son, who died in Round Lake Beach: prosecutors
The director of the day care that the boy and his older sister attended last year says she told DCFS about her concerns.
ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. (WLS) -- A mother and her boyfriend were ordered held pending trial Monday after being charged with murder in an 8-year-old boy's north suburban death, the Lake County state's attorney said.
Evidence shows that the young boy faced long-term neglect and physical abuse in his home, according to Round Lake Beach detectives.
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The Lake County Coroner's Office identified the boy as Markell Pierce.
The boy's mother, Dominique Servant, 33, and her boyfriend, Joey L. Ruffin, 38, were both arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death.
They appeared in court on Monday afternoon.
Investigators say the abuse dates back at least 20 months, and there is video of the abuse.
They said Ruffin made recordings of himself punishing Pierce, and a judge called the suspects' behavior "heinous."
Prosecutors say Servant and Ruffin admitted to regularly hitting Pierce and his 10-year-old sibling with belts, and forcing them to carry 8-pound weights as punishment.
Servant's family was at Monday's hearing. They said they were unaware of what was happening and are heartbroken.
"I never seen any signs of anything, just the smallness, you know, how small he may have gotten. I did see him, you know, for Thanksgiving, but she said he was sick," sister Shay Kelly said. "We don't know where we go from here. We need a lot of support, prayers, you know, a lot of unanswered questions. We just want to be there for the other kids, as well as Dominique."
First responders said when they found Pierce unresponsive last week in his Round Lake Beach home, they noticed the child appeared malnourished and had bruising on his body.
Pierce had been beaten repeatedly and deprived of food for days leading up to his death, according to the prosecutor.
"There should be one more eight-year-old alive in this world today. This horrific death was preventable," said Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart.
Officials say preliminary autopsy results confirm that he faced malnourishment and physical abuse.
Police say the boy's 10-year-old sister was also taken to the hospital for signs of abuse.
Carrie Pinske is the director of a day care that Pierce and his sister attended last year. She says the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services called her last April after someone made an initial report, and she told the agency the children were always hungry and wanting extra snacks.
"I tried to give the information that I could," Pinske said. "There was extras left over, so he had like a bag of Ritz crackers, and he was walking out with them, and his mom snatched them out of his hand and threw them on the table and said, 'Stop acting like you're not fed.'"
Pinkse says days after she spoke with DCFS, Markell's mother pulled him and his sister out of her day care.
ABC7 learned there was also a 3-year-old boy in the home. At last check, he was placed in the care of DCFS. Prosecutors said they don't believe the 3-year-old was abused.
A DCFS spokesperson said the family was not receiving services from the department.
"When a precious child is taken from us in such a way, it is natural to feel anger. It is natural to feel confusion. It is natural to ask why. I share in that grief. In moments like this, we must come together, not apart," Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said on social media.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mother, boyfriend charged with murder of 8-year-old boy in Round Lake Beach, police say
The community set up memorial for the young boy near his home with candles and plushies.
Candles and balloons graced the front entrance of the home on Monday.
"I just don't believe, I can't believe at all, so it's just really heartbreaking," said Ashley Hunter, Pierce's cousin.
The Special Education District of Lake County says Servant is a paraprofessional at Fairhaven school in Mundelein. She has worked there since October 2023.
Their statement reads, "SEDOL fully acknowledges the significance of these charges and will act in accordance with its obligations under the law. As part of our hiring process we conduct criminal background checks of all employees. During Ms. Servant's employment at SEDOL she has performed her duties as assigned satisfactorily without any concerns noted," a statement from SEDOL said. "We are all truly saddened by this tragedy and extend our deepest sympathies to those affected in our community. SEDOL remains fully committed to providing every student with a trusted and safe learning environment. The health and safety of all SEDOL students remain our highest priorities. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to navigate this matter."
Servant and Ruffin are next due in court March 3.
The Lake County state's attorney said in a statement Monday, "There should be one more eight-year-old child alive in this world today. This horrific death was preventable. In light of the ongoing nature of this investigation, the moral mandate that we secure justice, and the need to hold every responsible party accountable, we will be providing limited information prior to a full presentment of charges to a grand jury.
"Today, the court ordered that both defendants be detained in the Lake County Jail after our office filed First Degree Murder charges on Saturday against Ruffin and Servant. I will say this: if you see signs of a child being abused or malnourished, report it. If you need help as a parent, get it. If you are abusing your child, stop it now.
"Our expanded Domestic Violence Division, our Children's Advocacy Center, and our entire office is dedicated to protecting children. We will use every resource we have to prevent this type of crime. We will always engage in community education and policy advocacy in Springfield. Once the abuse has happened, the men and women of this office will always be dedicated to fully prosecuting all those who would hurt children.
"I want to thank the Round Lake Beach Police Department, the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center, and the prosecutors in my office for their tireless and thorough work so far in this difficult case.
"If you are abusing you child or criminally neglecting their basic needs, and that child dies, you will be prosecuted for murder in Lake County.
"We must do everything we can to make sure this type of slow-motion murder is not happening anywhere, and that it never happens again."
See DCFS' full statement on the case:
"The death of a child is profoundly heartbreaking, especially when the alleged perpetrators are the ones that are supposed to protect and care for the child.
"This family was not receiving services from DCFS and the Department is actively working with Round Lake law enforcement to investigate the circumstances around this child's death.
"Illinois law restricts the information DCFS can share about child abuse and neglect investigations and we are unable to provide further comment about the specifics of this case at this time."
