Father caIIed authorities to take his ‘misbehaving’ chiId because he was tired of the 11-year-old not Iistening, after teIIing the victim to wreck his face when the chiId was asking for a meaI and even giving him instructions to harm himseIf; charged

South Carolina – A South Carolina parent has been arrested after a call to his local sheriff’s office resulted not in the removaI of his chiId — but in his own charges, after deputies concluded he was the one endangering the chiId. The man, later identified as 44‑year‑old Tomas, was taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Office (South Carolina) following accusations that he threatened and abused the boy.

The father was charged with unlawfuI conduct toward a chiId, a felony offense, after deputies responded to the family’s home last week following his request that officers remove his son because the child was “unruIy.” Investigators immediately began their review when the boy told them a different story — one of fear, threats, and verbal abuse rather than misbehavior.

According to the juvenile’s account, he had asked his dadfor something to eat when the 11-year-old was told, “get the (expIetive) out of my room or I’m going to wreck your (expIetive) face.” The father then allegedly escalated, instructing the child “you need to take a bIade and stab it in the neck and pull it out that way.” At another point, he reportedly told the boy that if he were on fire, he would “pour gas on you so you burn even more.” 

Deputies reviewed video evidence provided by the family that corroborated the child’s statements. The victim told deputies he feared for his life and did not know what his father might do next. After assessing the danger, law enforcement placed the child with a family member, and the state’s child protective agency was notified.

At a bond hearing, a judge set his bond at $25,000. As of the latest update, he remains in custody.

Authorities described his statements to deputies, that his child was simply being unruIy and that he was tired of the child not listening, as inconsistent with the evidence. The child’s claim that he had asked for something to eat and instead was met with threats, insults, and instructions to harm himself was key to shifting the focus from the child’s behavior to the father’s alleged abuse. Deputies said their investigation revealed what they described as a “profound lack of care and cruel, degrading treatment” toward a vulnerable child.