Child dies after alleged abuse by Pueblo couple

A 23-month-old boy who was taken to the hospital last Friday in critical condition after evidence of abuse has died, Pueblo police said Wednesday.

The child’s parents were initially arrested for child abuse, but those charges have been elevated after the boy’s death.

According to the Pueblo Police Department, Faith Hughes, 20, went to a hospital around 3 a.m. Friday morning with her 23-month-old son, who was unresponsive and had severe injuries.

Hughes first said that she was walking in east Pueblo with her son when they were “assaulted by unknown parties.” Police later found that wasn’t true and that Hughes had been dropped off at the hospital by the child’s father, 21-year-old Skyler Chapman.

Investigators discovered that the child had been physically abused by Hughes and Chapman — the child’s body was bruised throughout, and he had multiple brain bleeds. He was flown to the Denver Children’s Hospital and was in “critical and seriously unstable condition” before passing away Wednesday.

Chapman has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. Hughes was charged with child abuse resulting in death.

Hughes and Chapman were booked into the Pueblo County Detention Center.