Police: FL man admits suffocating 1-year-old son to continue playing video games, watch TV

Authorities said a central Florida man suffocated his crying toddler son so he could continue playing video games.

Cody Wygant was arrested Thursday on third-degree murder and willful child neglect charges in the death of his 1-year-old son.

Emergency crews were called that morning to the family’s Homosassa home, where they found the boy nonresponsive.

Detectives said the 24-year-old Wygant admitted he placed his hand over the boy’s mouth for at least three minutes to stop him from crying, then placed him in a playpen and covered him with several layers of blankets.

Wygant then continued playing video games for about an hour before watching three episodes of the television show “Fringe.”

Deputies said he didn’t check on the boy for about five hours, and the child was not breathing when he finally did.

Wygant, who has a criminal record in California that includes a rape charge, moved to Florida in January and is unemployed, authorities said.

Watch this video report posted online by WNCT-TV:

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