Nearly two years after a Utica 4-month-old died, a man has been arrested for the infant’s death.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office and Utica Police Department announced on June 19 that Chance Terrence Topp, the infant’s father, was arrested on June 18 in connection with the baby’s death.
Topp was charged with involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and is scheduled to be arraigned on June 20. On June 25, the case will go before the Licking County Grand Jury, which may consider more charges against Topp.
The case has been under investigation for the 20 months since the baby was found unresponsive in a home on Crestview Drive in Utica on Oct. 13, 2023, around 7:32 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
When officers responded to the report, the baby was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital with suspicious injuries and was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
Since the death, investigators have searched the residence, conducted multiple interviews, done forensic testing and collected physical evidence, according to the sheriff’s office.
Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Father of Licking County baby arrested, charged with involuntary manslaughter in 2023 death
Reporting by Danae King, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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