The father of a South Florida toddler whose body was discovered covered in bruises in a trash bag after he was reported missing exited the Broward County Jail early Thursday flanked by relatives and refusing to speak with reporters.
When questioned about what happened to his son, Nelson Osceola only replied "I can't talk about it."
Nelson Osceola, along with Analiz Osceola, the child's stepmother, were arrested Wednesday.
Analiz Osceola, 24, is charged with aggravated manslaughter, child neglect and providing false information to law enforcement in the death of 3-year-old Hollywood boy Ahziya Osceola.
She was being held on $230,000 bond Wednesday, records showed. It was unknown if she has an attorney.
Nelson Osceola, 25, is charged with child neglect. He was being held on $50,000 bond, jail records showed. His bond was paid. His attorney was unavailable for comment late Wednesday.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Hollywood Police Chief Frank Fernandez said the boy died of blunt trauma.
"We believe that justice has been brought to the forefront," Fernandez said. "Little Ahziya sustained a significant amount of injuries both internal and external and was found inside a box in an obscure location deliberately hidden from law enforcement's ability to locate."
The arrests come a day after it was learned that the bruised body of the boy had been put in garbage bags and put in a box in the laundry room of his father's home by Analiz, his stepmother.
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According to Child Protective Services documents obtained by NBC 6, the boy was last seen alive by his stepmother last Thursday, several hours before he was reported missing.
Analiz Osceola said she heard the boy grunting around 4 a.m. and when she touched him he was slightly cold but still warm, the documents said. She put him on the floor and attempted to do CPR but got no pulse.
The stepmother didn't tell anyone about his condition including her own mother, who lives in the home and is a nurse, the documents said.
Instead, Analiz Osceola waited for the other adults to leave the home then took two garbage bags and put his body inside them then put him in a box in the laundry room, the documents said.
It's believed the boy was not alive when he was placed in the box, which was completely hidden, Fernandez said.
She reported him missing around 11 a.m., about seven hours later, the documents said. A massive search was conducted before police found the boy's body in the home. His body had extensive bruising "from head to toe," the documents said.
Fernandez said Analiz Osceola claimed money was missing from the house and gave contradicting details.
"There are many details that she discussed, some of which were contradicting," Fernandez said. "She knew that the child was injured, the child did have injuries that should have seeked medical attention, they did not seek medical attention."
Ahziya Osceola lived with his father and stepmother and two siblings. On Monday, a judge ordered the siblings to stay with a relative, and said Nelson Osceola won't be allowed near them.
The Department of Children and Families visited the family four times, records showed.
"He endured a significant amount of pain in his three years of life," Fernandez said.
Analiz Osceola checked herself in to a mental ward the day after the boy was found dead.
