Police said 8-year-old Curtis Collman III accidentally ate his father’s crystal meth, mistaking it for cereal. As CNN reported, the amount of the drugs that the boy ate was so large, police said it would have killed a fully grown man — nearly 180 times the amount considered lethal.
Curtis Collman II reportedly noticed his son was feeling ill and called a friend to come over and help, KCRA reported. The boy’s condition quickly deteriorated, but the father took no action to help his son.
The boy soon began convulsing, but his father allegedly refused to help and prevented others from helping. The friend Collman had called tried to call the police, but Curtis Collman II reportedly held the friend at gunpoint. He also prevented his own parents, the grandparents of the child, from calling for help.
Police said the delay cost the boy his life and caused him to suffer greatly before his death.
“An 8-year-old child more than likely suffered for many hours. It upsets you,” said Detective Tom Barker.