8-Year-Old Dies After Assault, Possible Strangulation; Mom Faces Homicide Charges

An 8-year-old Wisconsin boy has died after he was found unresponsive at an apartment in Sheboygan County, police said.

The child, identified as Oliver Hitchcock, of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, died Friday from his injuries after allegedly being assaulted by his mother, WBAY reported, citing the Sheboygan Falls Police Department.

"On behalf of the City of Sheboygan Falls and its residents, we offer condolences and prayers to the family of Oliver Hitchcock. This tragedy is not anything any family should have to endure," Sheboygan Falls Police Chief Eric Miller said in a media release.

Police said the boy's mother allegedly assaulted him at an apartment Wednesday, with his cause of death suspected to be strangulation. An autopsy is scheduled for next week.

Authorities said the child's mother has been arrested and is the only suspect in the case, ABC 12 reported.

Officers were called to the Plank Trail Apartments in Sheboygan Falls Wednesday evening.

Police said the boy's father was home when the assault happened and called 911. He also rendered aid, but first responders found the child unresponsive.

The boy was taken to St. Nicholas Hospital and later transported to a children's hospital in Milwaukee.

The boy's mother, whose name will be released when she is formally charged, was also transported to the hospital with "self-inflicted wounds" from a weapon inside the home, the police chief said.

She was released Friday and transported to the Sheboygan County Jail.

The victim's mother now faces two charges, first-degree intentional homicide and attempted intentional homicide. The second count stems from information obtained by witnesses of a previously unreported incident, according to the police chief.

"The second count is something that came up in the investigative process," said Miller. "The Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department is the lead agency on that."

The police chief said they will refer the charges to the district attorney's office.

"Oliver was a sweet, smart kid," Eric Hitchcock, Oliver's uncle on his dad's side, told ABC 12. "He played 'Minecraft' quite a bit, and he was into airplanes."

The victim's uncle said he and Oliver's mother had a conversation just two days before the incident, and things appeared normal.

"It's horrible that it happened. It just doesn't make any sense," Eric said. "I just couldn't believe it was true. I mean I just talked to his mom two days before and things were normal and we had a good conversation. It's just unbelievable."

Oliver was a student of Sheboygan Falls Elementary School.

Sheboygan Falls School District Superintendent Sarah Annalee Bennin released a statement addressing the child's death, KKTV reported.

"We want to offer our condolences to the family. We want to offer our gratitude to the police department and the entire city and the work that they’ve done with us in the last few days. We have some tough days ahead for our families, students and staff," Bennin stated.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help support Oliver's dad, who will need to take time off of work to care for his other son on his own.