Boy, 8, Dies After Mistaking Dad's Meth For Cereal

SEYMOUR, IN — An Indiana man could face up to 50 years in prison after refusing to call 911 when his young son suffered and died after mistaking meth for cereal, authorities in Jackson County said. Curtis Collman II, 41, of Seymour reportedly told police he thought he hid the meth.

When asked why he didn't call for help after 8-year-old Curtis Collman III ingested more than 180 times the lethal limit of methamphetamine, Collman said he panicked, according to a toxicology report obtained by the Associated Press.

According to court documents, the father noticed something was wrong with his son on the morning of June 21 after the child woke him up because he was hungry, WGN reported. But Collman II said they didn't have any food and went back to sleep. The next time he woke up, Collman II said the boy was “twitching and bouncing his face off the floor," and scratching his face, according to WGN.

Collman II called a friend around 10 a.m. for help, but once she arrived he "ripped" the phone out of her hand, pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her, his son and himself when she mentioned calling for help, police told WGN. Prosecutors said the man took his son to his mom's house that afternoon, but wouldn't let her call 911 for help. Jackson County dispatch finally received a 911 call about a boy not breathing just before 2 p.m., WGN reported.

Police in Jackson County said paramedics tried to save the boy before he was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

That night, officers located Collman II, who is a convicted sex offender, and initially took him into custody for failure to register, police said. Collman is also charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in the dependent's death, intimidation, pointing a firearm at a person, possession of methamphetamine.

"Curtis Collman has an obligation to provide medical care to a dependent and failed to provide medical care," police said in a news release.

Prosecutors say they are hoping to put Collman II in prison for up to 50 years. "(He is) just your worst nightmare as a parent," Jackson County chief deputy prosecutor Jeffrey Chalfant said, according to ABC Chicago. Detective Tom Barker told the outlet that the 8-year-old "likely suffered for many hours" before he died.

Collman II's bond is set at $51,510, according to jail records.

Photo of Curtis Collman II via Jackson County Sheriff's Office