Man Kills 5-Year-Old Son For Eating Father's Day Cheesecake

In a bizarre incident, a Milwaukee man punched and killed his 5-year-old son because the boy ate a piece of his cheesecake. According to prosecutors, Travis Stackhouse, 29, was upset that three of his children ate the cheesecake he had got for Father’s Day.

Stackhouse told police he punched his son in the stomach Friday for eating the only piece of cheesecake that he kept for himself.

On Wednesday, Stackhouse was charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the death of his son. He was held on $25,000 bond, according to the Milwaukee County Jail website. If convicted, Stackhouse could face up to 60 years, local media reported.

Authorities said they received a call late night about an incident and paramedics were sent to the home in the 2600 block of West Ruby Avenue. They found an unresponsive boy and after CPR did not revive him, the 5-year-old was declared dead.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the boy suffered a ruptured stomach, bruised kidneys, and a torn adrenal gland. He died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

Stackhouse also told police he hit the child’s face with the back of his hand.

Prosecutors said that after injuring the boy, Stackhouse left home and went to a bar with friends. When he returned, his girlfriend and mother of the boy called 911.

When police first quizzed Stackhouse, he told them the child was injured because he fell down the stairs. Paramedics didn’t think his injuries were consistent with a fall, and the boy's 6-year-old brother told police he did not fall down the stairs.

Paramedics noticed bruising around his eyes, a cut to the lower lip and a laceration to the sternum, following which they alerted the police. According to the complaint, Stackhouse admitted that his girlfriend often warned him not to hit the children so hard.