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Two arrested, charged with capital murder in 4-year-old’s death

Posted at 9:39 AM, Jun 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-18 10:39:47-04

Two people have been arrested and charged with capital murder in the death of a 4-year-old Corpus Christi boy. The newly obtained arrest report reveals some disturbing details.

Police were called out to a home in the 1700 block of Robin Drive just after 2:29 pm Sunday afternoon. According to police, when officers arrived at the scene, they found a 4-year-old boy dead inside a bedroom. New information states that officers observed bruising on the boy’s body and blood spatter on a wall in the bedroom. The boy’s bedding also had blood stains on it, according to the arrest report. 

The boy’s mother, Amanda Rose Pinon, 26, told officers that the boy was in the care of his step-father, 28-year-old Michael Duty, the night before the death, according to the report. Pinon told officers she left the boy in Duty’s care from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday evening. She told officers she spoke with the boy at 11:30 p.m. and said that "he was fine." 

Pinon told officers that when she got home that night she checked on the boy, but did not physically check the boy’s condition. She told officers when she went back to check on him at noon on Sunday, he was cold and stiff.

Pinon waited 2 1/2 hours to call police after finding the boy’s body, the arrest report states. Before calling police, the report says Pinon took the boy out of the bed and handed him to Duty to perform CPR, but cannot give any other explanation as to why she waited so long to call police. (Read the arrest report in full below).

Pinon and Duty were booked into the City Detention Center after being detained at the scene and interviewing with police. 

Duty, who was also found to have two arrest warrants for burglary to a vehicle, is being held with no bond due to his warrants. Pinon is being held on $1 million bail. 

Two other children that were inside the residence were placed in temporary custody of Child Protective Services. This investigation is ongoing.  If anyone has any additional information please contact CCPD detectives at 361-886-2840.

Family members raise funds for Athen Pinon’s funeral expenses.

CCPD investigates death of four-year-old boy