Michigan City Father Arrested Following Investigation into Infant Death

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division has concluded their investigation into the death of an 8-week-old infant and an arrest has been made.

According to authorities, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and officially ruled the death of the 8-week-old baby boy to be homicide.

After the autopsy was complete, detectives presented probable cause to a deputy prosecutor with the La Porte County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and later to Superior Court 1, along with findings from the investigation.

As a result, on Thursday, February 7^th, a criminal arrest warrant was reportedly issued for the child’s biological father, 24-year-old Brandon L. Bottom, of rural Michigan City.

Bottom is apparently facing multiple charges, including the Level 1 Felonies of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and aggravated battery resulting in death as well as the Level 2 Felony of battery with death to a person under 14-years-old.

Bottom was taken into custody around 10:40 a.m. on Thursday and remains lodged in the La Porte County Jail on a cash bond of $100,000 through Superior Court 1. 

La Porte County police were initially alerted of this incident during the evening hours of Friday, February 1^st after representatives of the Franciscan Health Hospital, Michigan City campus, contacted the Sheriff’s Office regarding an injured 8-week-old infant.

Hospital officials advised police that the baby was being transported to the University of Chicago Medicine-Comer Children’s Hospital. Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division were immediately notified and activated.

Shortly after 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, February 5^th, the child was declared deceased after health officials medically determined there was no brain activity.