Luca Sholey, a 17-month-old boy, was bludgeoned to death by his mother’s boyfriend. David Earl Vickers then stole her car stereo as well as laptop and pawned them as the toddler battled for life at a hospital, the Miami Herald is reporting.
An autopsy revealed that Luca had died from blunt force trauma to the brain. The coroner’s findings also showed that at the time of the 17-month-old boy’s death, he had suffered six broken ribs. The Florida man has since been charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bond at a county jail
Vickers had called 911 claiming that he found the toddler unconscious and not breathing. The young child was rushed to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. Two days later he was declared dead.
A medical assessment showed that his injuries were consistent with child abuse. Investigations would later reveal that Vickers had been abusing the toddler for months. A source speaking to People said Luca Sholey was being abused again at the time he died.
The mother of the boy, Melissa Wolfe, was working at the time of the tragic incident.
Luca Sholey was kept on life support for several days so that his organs could be used to save the lives of a 54-year-old man and two girls. All through that time, his mother Melissa was by his bedside. When the little boy passed on and Melissa Wolfe returned to the residence she shared with 31-year-old Vickers, she discovered that her car stereo and Apple laptop had disappeared.
The Bradenton Herald is reporting that Vickers allegedly took the stereo from his girlfriend’s vehicle just hours after Luca Sholey was rushed to the hospital and sold it for $30. Two days later, while Wolfe remained at the hospital with her dying son, the 31-year-old man allegedly pinched her laptop and charger then pawned them for $60.
Melissa Wolfe confronted him after she found a “water bottle with the pawn shop logo on it in the car” and got the police involved. The police were able to locate and retrieve the items. He was already in police custody for the death of Luca Sholey. Now, he will face additional charges.
David Earl Vickers was released from prison in May after serving two years and eight months for defrauding a pawnbroker and trafficking in stolen merchandise. His other prior convictions include driving without a license, marijuana possession, and grand theft.
[Featured Image by Prathaan/Thinkstock]