Little Dante was just 8 years old. He had his whole life in front of him, yet, it was snatched away by a monster in human guise - his mother's ex-boyfriend.
All Dante wanted to do was protect his 7-year-old sister from being sexually assaulted by the man, Deandre Chaney Jr, on September 1.
According to reports, Dante's mom had asked Chaney to watch the kids while she took her brother to work. When she returned, she reportedly heard one of the children crying. When she went to check on who it was, she was hit from behind with a hammer and lighter fluid was poured on her by Chaney.
What led to this?
Reportedly, Chaney had tried to sexually molest the little girl. When Dante intervened and tried to rescue his little sister, he was brutally attacked by Chaney, who beat him with a hammer and left him to die.
Dante, who had just started Grade 3 in September, died of his injuries on September 6.
His grandmother, Monique Brown, is reported to have said that the little boy was, “Trying to save his sister from this child molester, and that’s why he was beat the worst.” She described her grandson as a “sensitive” boy.
Chaney, who has a long record of crime, committed “lewd acts” on the girl on Sept. 1. He also beat her and her mother, 28-year-old Elizabeth Salone, with the same hammer that brought about little Dante's death.
The man had also reportedly drenched Salone in lighter fluid, before running away.
He was found on September 2 hiding in a shed, and was arrested. He faces murder and attempted murder charges.
The child's devastated family has said that Dante remained a hero until the end. His heart was donated to a child in Southern California after his death. Dante's grandmother said, “A 4-year-old lives because of [him].”
She also mentioned that the children's mother will probably be permanently blind in one eye after the attack, and that his little sister will “need a lot of help.”
