A Michigan mother and her boyfriend are accused of repeatedly abusing her 6-year-old son, ultimately leading to his death, authorities allege.
Elaina Rose Jennings, 25, and Daniel John Giacchina, 32, both of Madison Heights, Mich., have been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with the July death of 6-year-old Giovanni “Chulo” Jennings, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced at a press conference on Friday, Aug. 9.
McDonald alleged that the couple severely abused and regularly beat the boy, who was “confined, beaten, and bound to the wall using a staple gun.” The prosecutor claimed that Jennings knew her son was badly injured but he was not taken for medical treatment because she believed others would find out about the alleged abuse.
On July 30, around 2:35 p.m., Jennings called 911 to report that her son was not breathing, McDonald said. First responders rushed the boy to the hospital, but he later died around midnight on July 31.
According to McDonald, an autopsy determined the boy died from blunt force trauma to his abdomen and a perforated bowel “after a lengthy period of confinement and abuse.” His death was ruled a homicide. Photos taken during the autopsy showed he had bruising and cuts all over his body, McDonald said.
McDonald claimed both Jennings and Giacchina conspired to falsely tell police that it was Chulo’s father who was last with the child, when in fact the boy was left in the care of Giacchina while she was at work that day. Investigators spoke with the boy’s father and determined that he wasn’t involved in the alleged abuse.
According to McDonald, the couple allegedly kept the 6-year-old boy confined to a pen in a corner of the couple’s bedroom, where he was left to try to sleep on a wooden slat measuring 11 inches by 36 inches. A black curtain was also allegedly installed to prevent Chulo from seeing outside, and barricades were used to keep him in place.
“Chulo was beaten by Giacchina on multiple occasions,” McDonald claimed. “While that abuse sometimes happened while Jennings was at work, Jennings was aware of it and approved of the physical assaults and at times even encouraged Giacchina to abuse Chulo.”
According to McDonald, Giacchina purchased a home security system and mounted a camera on the wall to monitor what he and Jennings called ‘the corner,’ which was the area where Chulo was confined. The couple watched videos of Chulo trying to urinate, drink or leave the confinement, the prosecutor claimed.
In the days before Chulo was found unresponsive, Giacchina allegedly bound the boy’s clothes to the wall with staples and wedged his head into the corner as punishment for “looking out the window in the pen area,” McDonald said.
According to McDonald, Giacchina then allegedly texted Jennings that he had “solved the problem,” sending a photo of the boy stapled to the corner of the pen. Both Jennings and Giacchina allegedly laughed about the photo, McDonald claimed. McDonald further alleged that the abuse included Chulo being shot with a BB gun.
During a search of the home, where Jennings lived with Chulo, her two other minor children, and Giacchina, investigators allegedly found a staple gun, a BB gun, and a 9mm ghost gun, along with projectile holes in the walls, McDonald said.
Authorities also allegedly found a photo of children handling a handgun and BB gun with Giacchina in the photo. Another photo allegedly shows two children pointing the handgun at a third child.
While speaking with investigators, Chulo’s 4-year-old brother claimed Giacchina shot him with a BB gun and shot Chulo in the butt with a BB gun, McDonald said. The boy also claimed that on the day of his death, Chulo “died all day and Danny was there,” referring to Giacchina.
McDonald alleged Jennings later admitted that Giacchina punched Chulo several times in the abdomen about three days prior to his death. Jennings later claimed to police that as a result of those punches, Chulo began vomiting and his condition continued to worsen until she found him unresponsive in the company of Giacchina, McDonald alleged.
The murder and abuse charges are in addition to the charges that Jennings and Giacchina were arrested on last week. Jennings and Giacchina face a charge of lying to a police officer with Giacchina additionally facing firearm-related charges. It’s unclear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.
Both are being held at the Oakland County Jail and were denied bond during a court hearing on Aug. 9, according to a statementfrom the prosecutor’s office. A probable cause conference is scheduled for Aug. 21 in the 43rd District Court.
“All children have a right to grow up in a home free of fear,” McDonald said. “This child and his siblings suffered unimaginable abuse and lived in fear every day.
“My office, and the Madison Heights Police Department are committed to using every resource available to us to get justice for Chulo and hold the people responsible for this death accountable, and to seek punishment that reflects the horror of his death,” the prosecutor added.
