An Indiana father has been sentenced to jail after taking a plea deal for the death of his newborn baby in an attack by their family dog last year.

Austin Kinsey, the baby’s father, was charged after Jason Anthony Weaver, a one-week-old baby, died on September 4th from blunt-force trauma wounds after being brutally attacked by the dog named ‘Chomp.’

Kinsey was charged along with Violet Weaver, the baby’s mother, and four other family members. Grandparents, Timothy Kinsey, Rita Wickey and Michael Wickey as well as his uncle, Tony Kinsey were all arrested in Markle, Indiana.

The father was initially charged with two counts of neglect and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog that injured someone. A plea deal dismissed the highest-level neglect charge in exchange for a 16-year sentence at Indiana Department of Correction with a new but lesser charge.

Violet Weaver, the baby’s mother, was charged with a level six felony neglect of a dependent. According to Huntington Circuit Court documents, she has been scheduled for a change of plea hearing later this month.

Tragic Pit Bull Attack

Rita and Michael Wickey each face an infraction for harboring a non-immunized dog. The case is still active for all the grandparents and the uncle at this time.

According to a police report obtained by the Daily Mail, Huntington County authorities arrived at the home on Miller Street after Chomp viciously attacked the newborn baby.

The baby was having trouble breathing as an officer described the house to have a ‘strong odor of animal, trash and dirt everywhere.’ The officer attempted CPR until medics arrived.

The baby was taken to Fort Wayne hospital before he passed away, according to a Huntington County Coroner’s Office press release.

An autopsy from the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center revealed that Jason suffered more than 180 abrasions and several bruises on his neck, torso, back and limbs. He endured major internal injuries like brain hemorrhages, rib fractures and tears in the lungs.

Tragedy in Seconds

During the investigation, police learned that Austin Kinsey was playing video games in the living room while his son was in a car seat when he left for less than a minute. The father was speaking with other family members when Timothy Kinsey busted through the door with Jason Weaver in his arms and directed them to call the ambulance.

Timothy Kinsey explained he heard Jason Weaver making noises and saw Chomp dragging him across the floor.

The family described Chomp as being gentle with the baby but sometimes a jealous dog who was often aggressive to other animals. According to court documents, Chomp had bitten people before and was involved in a past incident.

The Huntington County Coroner’s Office stated that Chomp was a five-year-old husky pit bull mix.

Rita Wickey, the grandmother, allegedly shared that one of her family members would carry a gun in the house as a precaution to shoot Chomp if another aggressive incident happened again.

The family told police they had considered getting rid of Chomp or putting him down before the infant was born, the police report stated.

Awareness of Danger

Another family member reportedly told police that Austin Kinsey was aware they should have gotten rid of the dog but he ‘couldn’t bring himself to get rid of his best friend.’

Jason Weaver’s death was initially ruled an accident before investigators determined the family’s property was uninhabitable during a home visit.

The investigation revealed that the family home contained mountains of trash and bugs inside Jason Weaver’s car seat, according to the police report.

‘There was so much trash and debris, officers could barely walk through the home,’ one officer said in the report.

‘I also observed numerous cockroaches and flying bugs on the walls, floor, ceiling and doorways.’

According to the Huntington County Health Department, the family was ordered to vacate the home last year.

After the tragedy, Chomp was removed from the home and taken to Huntington County Animal Shelter. He showed no signs of aggression or rabies and was later euthanized.

An obituary for Jason Weaver wrote: ‘Though his time on this earth was short, he will be loved forever.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to the attorneys representing Violet Weaver, Timothy Kinsey, Tony Kinsey, Michael Wickey, and Rita Wickey for comment. The attorney representing Austin Kinsey declined to comment.

The Daily Mail has also reached out to the Huntington County Coroner’s Office, the Huntington County Health Department and the Indiana Department of Correction for comment and additional details.