In a shocking case of child neglect, a 9-year-old boy was found dead and decomposing in an Arizona home filled with spiders, trash, and bottles of urine. The boy’s father, Joseph Gregory Antonsen, 38, now faces charges of child abuse and negligent homicide.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department responded to a residence in the Tucson Mountain District on July 14, where they made the gruesome discovery. According to probable cause documents, deputies found the child “in a sitting position” on a couch, already “in the process of decomposition.”
The home was described as “cluttered” with piles of trash surrounding the couch where the boy was found. Authorities reported empty beer cans, large piles of soiled diapers, rotten food, and gallon bottles filled with what appeared to be urine. Significant insect activity, including black widow and brown recluse spiders, was noted, with spiderwebs covering the walls throughout the home. The residence had no running water or working toilets.
Antonsen told authorities in Arizona his son fell ill on July 12. He claimed he was planning to take the boy to a doctor, but the child began “shuttering and going limp” before stopping breathing. Antonsen said he couldn’t find a pulse. Instead of calling for help, Antonsen allegedly left the home without his son and didn’t return until July 14. He “declined” to speak further with deputies.
Based on the “deplorable conditions” of the home and Antonsen’s failure to seek medical aid or call 911, authorities charged him with child abuse and negligent homicide. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.
A neighbor described the deceased boy as “really cute” and “very polite,” noting he was “a lot friendlier than his dad.”
This tragic case highlights the devastating consequences of child neglect and the importance of community vigilance in protecting vulnerable children. It raises questions about how such severe neglect could go unnoticed and underscores the need for increased awareness and intervention in cases of child abuse and neglect.
