Authorities in Ark City continue to investigate the death of a 2-year-old boy who died earlier this month after ingesting a rust removal product at the home of his babysitter.
Davin Manly was hospitalized Oct. 4 after swallowing the product, which contained hydrofluoric acid. The acid caused gastro-intestinal bleeding and the boy stopped breathing and later died at the hospital in Ark City, according to police.
Since then, police and the Cowley County Attorney’s office have met and continue to review the case to determine if any criminal charges are warranted.
County attorney Chris Smith said this week the investigation was ongoing and that no final decision had been made on charges.
Manly, according to his family, was at his babysitter’s home in Ark City when he ingested the chemical, which reportedly had been stored in a water bottle. The babysitter’s three children were taken into protective custody following the incident.
Manly’s father, Ernest Manly, picked the child up from the sitter’s apartment and took him home. A short-time later, emergency crews were called to Ernest Manly’s home, where the child was found not breathing.
A primary focus of the investigation is determining what actions the babysitter, and the child’s parent, took after realizing the child had swallowed a hazardous substance.