The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of 24 year old Brandon L. Bottom, of rural Michigan City, following the death investigation by detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Sheriff’s Office. Last Friday evening (02/01), Franciscan Health Hospital, Michigan City campus, contacted the Sheriff’s Office regarding an injured eight week old infant boy. The boy was being transported to the University of Chicago Medicine – Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Detectives from the CID were immediately notified and activated. On Tuesday, at 11:41 AM, the child was declared dead after it was medically determined
there was no brain activity. Thursday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an
autopsy and officially ruled the death of the boy a homicide. Detectives presented probable cause to a deputy prosecutor with the La Porte County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and later to Superior Court I from the findings of their investigation. As a result, a criminal arrest warrant was issued for Bottom for the following charges: Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, Aggravated Battery Resulting in Death, and Battery with Death to a Person Under 14 Years Old. Bottom is the biological father of the boy. Bottom was taken into custody this morning at approximately 10:40 AM. Bottom remains lodged in the La Porte County Jail on a cash only bond of $100,000 dollars through Superior Court I. Arrests and criminal charges are mere
accusations. Every person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.