West Allis child death, parents in court; 'may be the worst case I've ever seen'
Child death in West Allis, parents charged
The people in law enforcement who've seen it all say this is one of the most horrific cases they've ever seen. FOX6 is learning more about what led up to the death of a four-year-old boy in West Allis as both parents appeared in court.
MILWAUKEE - The people in law enforcement who've seen it all say this is one of the most horrific cases they've ever seen.
FOX6 is learning more about what led up to the death of a four-year-old boy in West Allis as both parents appeared in court.
Parents in court
What we know:
"I’m almost having difficulty being composed myself," said Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Barry Phillips.
21-year-old Devario Cruz is charged with reckless homicide, child abuse, and neglect.
West Allis boy dead, parents charged with chronic neglect
The parents of Dante Campbell, a 4-year-old West Allis Boy, are now criminally charged in connection with his death.
"This, literally may be the worst case I've ever seen," added Phillips.
Prosecutors say his four-year-old son, Dante Campbell, was on the receiving end.
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"The defendant gave, what the state considers to be a minimizing confession, after telling multiple lies to the police," said prosecutor Erin Karshen.
Prosecutors say Cruz and his girlfriend, 31-year-old Charlotte Kurek, initially told investigators their son fell down a flight of stairs.
But Cruz later admitted to Kurek that he killed their son.
"She had an easy choice on October 18, 2025, her child or Mr. Cruz. She chose Mr. Cruz," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Torbenson.
On that Saturday morning, Oct. 18, court filings say Cruz told police he found his son quote ‘stiff’ and that he ‘smelled bad’
Investigators say Cruz and Kurek then put the boy's lifeless body, and his twin sister in the car.
"You didn’t call police, you called a friend and said take my child, because I don’t want the child to see his brother dead," said Phillips.
Only then was there a call to 911.
When police showed up, paramedics were working to revive four-year-old Dante Campbell, but filings indicate the boy was likely already dead for some time.
Police presence near 108th and Greenfield
"You allegedly beat a four-year-old child to death. Literally with your bare hands. As if that child was a grown man," said Phillips.
Later that morning, police found Kurek's three other children alone in the apartment.
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"Your children claim to have been beaten mercilessly by the co-defendant on a regular basis. All you had to do is call police and get him taken out of their lives. As the state said, you didn’t, you chose him," said Phillips.
Bond set
What we know:
Cruz's bond was set at $250,000.
Kurek's bond was set at $100,000, along with a no contact order for her children.
The Source: FOX6 previously reported on the death with information from the criminal complaint and was in court for both Devario Cruz's and Charlotte Kurek's initial appearances.