ROY, Utah — A male family friend is in custody for murder, aggravated child abuse and sexual abuse after a 2-year-old child died in Roy, while his twin was found injured.
A GoFundMe account has been established for the little boy who was killed.
Jonathan Dunn, a family friend who had previously been convicted of child abuse, was considered an "adopted uncle" who had custody of the children. He was arrested on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse, two counts of aggravated child abuse and one count of aggravated murder.
According to court documents, officers responded to the home at 4450 South Street near Sand Ridge Park just before 10 a.m. after a report of a patient not breathing. When they arrived, they found the boy laying on the front porch "with several visible injuries to his face and body."
Inside the home, officers saw the boy's 2-year-old twin sister with bruises on her face.
The boy was transported to the hospital where he later died of his injuries, while the girl remains hospitalized.
During a police interview, Dunn claimed the night before he was "playing a game with the kids and he began to punch the male and female child repeatedly in the back and sides and chest," while admitting that "he was hitting them harder than he should have."
Dunn told detectives that he picked up the children and began throwing them on the bed while they cried. He also said he had pinched the genitals of both children.
In 2017, Dunn was convicted and sentenced to prison for child abuse.
"... As we attempt to put our lives back together after this unbelievable tragedy, we are choosing to honor Aleister's life & memory as we process our grief," the family partially said in a statement Friday.
Police believe there was a total of nine children in the house, but it's unknown if the other children were harmed. Investigators say they are currently working on ensuring the remaining children are safe and out of harm's way.
*** Police previously said Dunn was a family relative before amending the information to friend of the family ***
