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

Brandon L. Bottom

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 1st 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 5th, the child was declared deceased after health officials medically determined there was no brain activity.