Child “beyond help”: Radio calls in Picture Rocks child death

Radio calls are telling us more about the case of a father charged with leaving his dead or dying son alone for two days. Deputies say it happened in Picture Rocks, and it left the father facing negligence homicide charges.

Investigators say when the nine year old boy’s heart stopped, John Gregory Antonsen did not call for help, he left. Radio calls help tell the story of what happened when he allegedly came back to the house two days later.

When deputies went into the house in Picture Rocks, they say they found a house full of filth, and the decomposing body of a nine year old boy.

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  Local News

  Court docs: 9-year-old boy's body found amid garbage, spiders, soiled diapers

  KGUN 9 News Staff 4:16 PM, Jul 16, 2024

Investigators said Antonsen told them the child had been ill, and shaking. Then the child stopped breathing. They say Antonsen told them he looked for a pulse and found none. He said he knew he should have called someone but he didn’t. Charging documents say Antonsen simply left. Two days went by.

He came back, and then he called for help.

The voice on the radio call says, “The caller is the father. He’s saying they have a 9 year old male who is unconscious, not breathing they believe is beyond help. PCSO (Pima County Sheriff’s Office) is en route.”

When deputies arrived they say they found the house had no water, and no functioning toilets. The child’s body decomposing on the couch was surrounded by dirty diapers, and jugs filled with what looked like urine. The house was filled with Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders.

Antonsen will be in jail as the case against him moves forward unless he can pay a half million dollars bond.