A man who beat his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son on multiple occasions, eventually leading to his death, was encouraged by the boy’s mother to continue the abuse, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the investigation began when they were called to a home on Memorial Park Avenue at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday and found Harley Don Hiatt Jr., 2, unresponsive.
He was taken to Heart of Florida Hospital where doctors determined he had a brain bleed, according to a news release. He was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m. Read the full story here ▶
