Trial for man accused in death of two-year-old

SHEBOYGAN -- 28-year-old Josh Keenan has been charged with second degree reckless homicide after initially being charged with felony child abuse. The two-year-old boy Keenan is accused of abusing died Thursday morning. Keenan waived his preliminary hearing, and will now head to trial in this case.

Sheboygan police arrested Keenan after police say the two-year-old child was brought to Memorial Medical Center in Sheboygan just before 4:00 a.m. Saturday by her mother and Keenan, and had to be taken via Flight for Life to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee.

The child was listed in serious condition at Children's Hospital, and died of his injuries Thursday morning.

Keenan was originally arrested for substantial battery, and was taken to the Sheboygan County Detention Center.

A criminal complaint in the case says Saturday night, Keenan was caring for the two-year-old boy, and when the boy's mother returned home from work around 3:00 a.m., her son was "unresponsive," so she and Keenan took him to Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center, where upon seeing the boy's injuries, a nurse called police.

Captain James Vesser with the Sheboygan Police Department says a detective questioned Kennan. "Initially, we didn't receive truthful information, but later on, after some talking with (Keenan), he was able to gain the truth," Vesser said.

The complaint says after being awakened by the boy who was playing, Keenan grabbed the toddler's wrist, lifting him so his feet were about four feet off the floor. Keenan says he then spun the boy around, but "lost his grip on (the boy), who flew four to five feet through the air, landing on the floor with a thud, unconscious."

One emergency room doctor said they did not expect the toddler to survive his injuries. "The unfortunate part is that a poor, defenseless, young child goes through trauma like this, possibly with dire consequences," Vesser said.

Mike Foley lives next door to Keenan, and Wednesday, he reacted to the news that his neighbor is in jail, facing felony child abuse charges. Foley says he believes the toddler's mother rents space in Keenan's Sheboygan home. "This is devastating. No two-year-old child should be subjected to something like this," Foley said.