SYLVANIA, Ohio — Editor's note: The attached video is from an earlier development in the story, which aired on Oct. 10, 2022.
Michael Kitto is in custody and has been charged with the killing of 3-year-old Declan Hill, according to a press release Tuesday from the Sylvania Township Police Department.
Detective Sgt. Lee McKinney with Sylvania Township Police said Kitto was the boyfriend of Declan's mother and that Kitto was babysitting Declan when the 911 call came in for an unconscious and injured child. The call was made by Kitto, McKinney said.
Kitto was indicted by a Lucas County grand jury on four charges. Court documents note that Kitto is a violent repeat offender and has specifications for three of four charges including aggravated murder, murder and felonious assault. He is also charged with child endangerment.
Kitto has a criminal history and served time for two armed robberies in Michigan in 2013.
"Police officers all have family members, all have their children. I have a 2-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter and all you can do is think about 'what would I do?'" McKinney said. "I want to protect her, same thing with Declan. We wanted nothing more than to get justice for that child, so it drives you a little harder to make sure you get ahold of him."
According to a press release, Sylvania Township Police responded to the 911 call Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10:37 a.m. Declan was taken by helicopter to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, where he died at 1:52 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7.
After police arrived on scene, McKinney said they wanted to look further into the situation and Kitto.
"After we interviewed him, we didn't have enough to go any further and we had to wait to see what medical professionals would do," McKinney said. "And they evaluated Declan and after that point, we felt like we had enough between that and the autopsy on Saturday morning that we could go for the warrant for his arrest."
Hill's death was ruled a homicide this weekend according to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.
The coroner’s office performed an autopsy Saturday and determined that Declan’s death was the result of blunt force head and neck trauma.
On Oct. 8, Kitto was arrested in Michigan on charges of felonious assault and homicide. Kitto is currently in the Washtenaw County Jail and will come to Lucas County to face a judge.
Declan's family has set up a GoFundMe to cover the costs of funeral expenses, which can be found here.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOL 11 for the latest information as it becomes available.
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