Wisconsin – A Wisconsin man was taken into custody and charged with second-degree reckIess homicide in the death of a child, 13. The judge set the defendant’s, 21-year-old TyIor, cash bond at $500,000 and ordered no contact with the victim’s family or minors.
According to Wisconsin authorities, first responders were dispatched at approximately 1:30 p.m. on August 20 to the area after a 911 caller reported a possible drowning. Police and firefighters entered the river from different sides to reach the victim, Jacob, who was pulled from the water unresponsive. He was taken first to the medical center and later to another hospital, where he died on August 23.
Police initially took two people into custody in connection with the incident: a 16-year-old boy and the 21-year-old man. The minor’s name has been withheld because he is a juvenile. On August 29, prosecutors filed the felony charge against the 21-year-old man while charging decisions regarding the 16-year-old remained under review.
The investigation began with statements from the defendant and the 16-year-old that all three males had jumped into the water from the pier. Detectives noted that the victim had been fully clothed, which they considered inconsistent with a voluntary jump. As the investigation progressed, the minor – identified by the initials “P.C.” in the complaint—told detectives that he and the defendant grabbed the victim by his hands and feet, swung him, and threw him off the edge of the pier. The defendant later acknowledged that the victim had been pushed, and Wisconsin authorities said both defendants attempted to help once the victim began struggling in the water. A nearby angler called 911 after hearing cries for help.
In interviews with police, the victim’s mother told responding officers that her child did not swim well and that she doubted he would have jumped into deep water on his own. She also relayed concerns that he had been bullied and was fearful of deep water. Investigators later told her they had located camera footage showing the victim being pushed into the water. The victim’s mom explained to local news outlet that her child had only recently met the 16-year-old and had never met the 21-year-old defendant. The grieving parent also said that the victim was bullied his whole life for having autism and that bullying him by pushing him into the water, is why he died.
A preliminary report by the medical examiner, pending final autopsy results, listed the cause of death as drowning. Prosecutors charged the defendant with second-degree reckless homicide, a Class D felony in Wisconsin. At the defendant’s initial appearance on August 28, the court imposed a $500,000 cash bond and conditions including no contact with the co-actor identified as P.C. and no alcohol or controlled substances. A further court date was set for September 22.
Police said names were initially withheld while detectives interviewed witnesses, reviewed surveillance footage from the area, and awaited medical findings. Officers documented the scene along the pier and coordinated with the District Attorney’s Office on referral of charges, consistent with standard procedure in death investigations. Wisconsin authorities emphasized that while attempts were made to rescue the child after he entered the water, the actions that preceded his submersion formed the basis of the reckless homicide allegation.
