An Illinois father has been arrested for killing his 2-month-old kid and propping him up in a covered stroller, with a family member handing the boy off to his mother and telling her he was merely sleeping, according to police.
“Me, not thinking anything of it, because it was raining, I just took my baby to the house, because I didn’t want my child to get sick,” Kayla Flowers told reporters in May, after learning that her son, Kayson Flowers, had died on April 28.
“When I went into the house, I uncovered the stroller,” Kayla Flowers told WLS, a local ABC affiliate. “My baby was lifeless.”
Anthony Evans, 23, enlisted a relative to deliver Kayson to Kayla Flowers in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood after killing him, according to authorities. According to investigators, the boy had been dead for six to eight hours, and his limbs and legs were apparently bruised.
“My baby’s dead, they killed my baby!” Kayla Flowers informed her pastor, Joe Huizenga, in a phone call following the shocking discovery, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“He’s black and blue,” she said, according to Huizenga.
Kayson was transported to a local hospital and confirmed dead, with authorities and medics citing evidence of child abuse. His death was considered a homicide, and Kayla Flowers offered a reward for information that led to an arrest, with assistance from Huizenga’s church, Roseland Christian Ministries.
“He never got the chance to say his first words, take his first steps, or celebrate his first birthday,” Kayla and Roseland Christian Ministries stated in a joint statement in May. “He was a really, really beautiful baby,” Huizenga explained to WLS. “He had chubby little cheeks [and] a beautiful skin tone.”
Huizenga continued, “It’s just absolutely horrific.”
Kayla Flowers told police that Kayson had allegedly been staying with Evans and a family member for almost a week before she went to pick him up on April 28. According to investigators, Evans was not present when Kayla picked up Kayson from his relative’s home.
Evans was detained on Monday near the 4700 block of South Champlain Avenue, according to a news statement from the Chicago Police Department. He’s been charged with murder.
“Me and my son finally got our justice,” Kayla Flowers said on Facebook on Wednesday.
“No words can explain how grateful I am,” she told me. “This means a lot to me.” My son did not get to grow up with his family since his father (Anthony Evans) took his life.”
