Grandview Father Denies Killing 2-year-old by Child Abuse

TRI-CITIES (AP) — A southern Washington man has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he killed his toddler son by repeatedly abusing the boy.

The Tri-City Herald reports 34-year-old Mario Torres entered the not guilty plea to manslaughter Thursday.

Court documents say 2-year-old Nicholas Torres became lethargic and somewhat unresponsive after his father watched him one day in 2014 while the mother was away. A concerned relative intervened and the child was taken to a Spokane hospital where he died.

The charges against Torres come after a lengthy investigation that included a review of medical and autopsy records by a Seattle pediatrician.

Documents also show Torres served a six-month jail sentence in 2015 for encouraging an older son to lie when investigators asked him about the day before his younger brother's hospitalization.