Man charged with beating, burning 2-year-old to death

A 25-year-old Shively man was charged with bludgeoning and burning to death the 2-year-old son of his girlfriend, a Shively Police report said.

Lajuan D. Hayes, of the 1800 block of Appleton Lane, was arrested at about 2:34 a.m. Wednesday after police responded to his home where they found the child severely injured and unresponsive, the report said. The initial call for police was made at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday.

The boy was taken to Kosair Children’s Hospital where he underwent surgery but ultimately died, the report said.

Staff at the hospital told officers the 2-year-old had numerous injuries consistent with blunt force trauma and several “very severe burns,” it said.

Police said the child’s mother, who was not named, was at work and Hayes was babysitting the child at the time of his injuries and was “the only person with the child during the period of time that these injuries had to have occurred.”

Hayes gave police a statement but was not able to explain the injuries to the child, the report said.

Hayes was arrested and charged with murder. He was being held at Louisville Metro Corrections on the charge along with unrelated charges for shoplifting, operating a vehicle on a suspended or revoked license and first-degree robbery.

He was being held without bond.

Reporter Mark Boxley can be reached at (502) 582-4241 or on Twitter at @Boxleyland.