Mother and teen she claimed to be her 'boyfriend' charged after 4-year-old daughter found dead

A 23-year-old Indiana mother and a teenager have been charged in the “very disturbing” death of her 4-year-old daughter, who was found with human bite marks on her arm.

Destiny F. Rhoades and Christian T. Gonzalez, 16, with whom she claimed to be in a relationship, both face charges in the death of Octavia Aquino.

Police responded around 9 a.m. on June 14 after receiving reports from Rhoades' roommate, who found the child “unconscious” in their apartment. The youngster was reportedly “cold to the touch”.

She was taken to hospital alive, but with “very little brain activity.” However, in an update on Sunday, police announced that the child had died.

Due to the child's death, Rhoades' original charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury was amended to neglect of a dependent resulting in death – a level one felony.

Gonzalez's original charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury was upgraded to murder.

According to the original police report, Rhoades was at work when her daughter was found.

Rhoades said she left the child sleeping at 7 a.m. while she left for work. An adult roommate said she noticed the child had bruises on his body, particularly around his neck. She also had a “human bite mark on her forearm,” according to police.

Detectives learned that the 16-year-old admitted to biting the child, but only after she bit him first.

A roommate reported that the child appeared to be “looking away and feeling nauseous” while in Rhoades' care on June 13. The police report describes the circumstances as a “very worrying case”.

Detectives had uncovered details of incidents involving Rhoades and her “juvenile boyfriend” since they arrived together in Evansville earlier this year. In February, officers found Gonzalez, who was 15 at the time, after he was reported missing from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Due to a missing persons case constituting a status violation, officers placed him at Hillcrest Youth Home, although he fled the building shortly afterward.

Officers found him again, this time with Rhoades, at his residence. He was placed at the Youth Care Center and eventually brought back to Fort Wayne.

At the time, Rhoades was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a level four felony. After being released from prison, she returned to Fort Wayne until her court date, set for April 11. Gonzalez disappeared again, around the same time Rhoades was returning to Evansville for that court date.