College Professor Charged With Murder After Adopted Newborn Son Dies

A 42-year-old college professor in North Carolina has been arrested on murder charges in connection with the death of his adopted newborn son.

Van Erick Custodio was charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse after his adopted 6-week-old son died as a result of physical abuse, WSOC-TV reported.

The child went into cardiac arrest on April 1 and was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The baby boy succumbed to his injuries Wednesday, according to the Gastonia Police Department.

The infant suffered from a skull fracture, broken rib and multiple fractures in each leg, allegedly caused by Custodio.

Arrest warrants obtained by the outlet indicated that Custodio admitted to physically abusing the newborn on "multiple" occasions.

Friends of Custodio told police during the investigation that the professor allegedly confessed that he threw the newborn on the couch and "squeezed the child, hearing a pop in the rib area," the arrest warrants said.

Custodio also allegedly "jerked the legs of the child back and felt a pop in the child's legs" while changing the baby's diaper, according to the warrants.

Custodio's wife told him to leave their Gastonia, North Carolina, home when she learned of the abuse, the warrants stated.

Custodio was arrested Monday in South Carolina’s York County, according to a release from the Gastonia Police Department. He was brought back to Gaston County, North Carolina, Wednesday.

He was given no bond, WSOC-TV reported.

In April last year, Custodio and his wife made a public plea via YouTube for help adopting a second child after previously adopting a girl.

A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $10,000 for adoption costs, WBTV-TV reported. The nonprofit Both Hands Foundation also helped the family's adoption fundraising efforts.

"Our team is incredibly devastated about this news. We find these actions atrocious and fully denounce any violence towards children," the foundation said in a statement to People following Custodio's arrest.

Custodio worked as an assistant professor at the Belmont Abbey College. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also worked as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.

In a statement via Law and Crime, UNC Charlotte said that it hired Custodio on a limited, temporary contract to teach one class as an adjunct. After Custodio’s arrest, the university said he was placed on administrative leave.

Custodio has also been suspended from teaching at Belmont Abbey College. "He recently took family leave and was not actively working for the college. Effective 4/13/2022, he was suspended from teaching at Belmont Abbey," the school's statement read. "Our prayers and hearts are with those impacted during this time."