Man arrested on homicide and child abuse charges in death of 5-year-old Sacramento boy
Investigators this week arrested a man accused of murder and child abuse in the death of a 5-year-old Sacramento boy who was taken to a hospital earlier this month and died a few days later.
Jason Rahul Chitnis, 21, of Sacramento County, was arrested Tuesday, the same day prosecutors filed charges of murder and assault on a child younger than 8 years old resulting in death.
Chitnis was booked at the Sacramento County Jail Tuesday, where he remained in custody Wednesday. He was being held without bail.
The child, Lance Stowers, died Aug. 5, a reported victim of a homicide, according to the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.
The investigation began shortly after 11 a.m. Aug. 3, when deputies were called to a home in the 2500 block of Fair Oaks Boulevard, just west of Munroe Street in Arden Arcade.
Medics from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District had called for assistance as they responded to a medical call for a 5-year-old child who was not breathing, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Wednesday.
The child was taken to a hospital, and child abuse detectives from the Sheriff’s Office investigated at the scene. Sheriff’s officials said the boy died two days later, and a medical evaluation indicated he had been “subjected to abuse.”
Sheriff’s investigators arrested Chitnis after obtaining a warrant for his arrest. Chitnis is scheduled to make his first appearance at Sacramento Superior Court on Thursday.
