A tragic incident in Orange County has left a community in shock after a 41-year-old man was charged with the brutal murder and torture of a 6-year-old boy named Chance Crawford. The suspect, Ernest Lamar Love, is facing multiple felony charges, including murder, assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death, and torture. He’s also looking at an additional sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury that left the young victim in a coma.
The heartbreaking events began when Chance’s mother, working a night shift as a nurse’s assistant, left him in Love’s care around 6:30 p.m. at his barbershop. At some point, things took a horrific turn. Prosecutors allege that Love lost control after Chance wet his pants while they were at a park. Instead of handling the situation like a rational adult, Love reportedly took a piece of lumber and beat the boy severely.
Around 1:30 a.m. the next morning, Love brought Chance to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, but by then, the damage was already done. Tragically, the little boy fought for his life for several days but passed away on Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecutors claim Love’s treatment of Chance was nothing short of horrific. He allegedly beat him with the block of wood, poured hydrogen peroxide on his open wounds, and then forced him to do push-ups and other exercises, essentially torturing the child. Doctors at the hospital revealed that Chance had suffered severe injuries, including extreme brain swelling, missing flesh on his buttocks, and signs of violent shaking. They even discovered an older, healing fracture on his shoulder blade.
In a statement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer painted a heartbreaking picture of what Chance endured, saying, “While his new classmates were celebrating the end of the first week of first grade, Chance’s seat in his classroom was empty as he fought for his life in a hospital bed.”
This story is as heartbreaking as it gets. It’s a painful reminder of the evils that can exist in this world and the importance of safeguarding our children.
