Milwaukee mother accused of torturing, fatally burning 4-year-old son
MILWAUKEE (AP/WCMH) – Prosecutors allege a Milwaukee woman killed her 4-year-old son by setting him on fire in a bathtub in their apartment.
Amelia DiStasio, 23, faces a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. She remains jailed with bail set at $400,000.
According to the complaint, authorities were called about smoke at DiStasio’s south side apartment Thursday morning and found her son Antonio’s burned and lifeless body in the bathtub. His hands had been bound behind his back with several belts, and a plastic garbage bag was over his head. An open bottle of cooking oil was in the bathroom.
According to WTMJ, the night before the fire, the criminal complaint said a neighbor heard the child say, “Please mommy, stop! I won’t do it again!” She heard Distasio yell, “Shut up!”
The mother was not home. A witness says she saw DiStasio climb out of the apartment window and run away.
A police officer later found DiStasio walking. It’s unclear if she has an attorney.