Suspect in brutal murder of 4-year-old in Dallas had allegedly tried to kidnap a 2-year-old, but homeowner refused to press charges



The suspect in the murder of a 4-year-old boy in Dallas, Texas, had been previously accused of assaulting another homeowner and trying to kidnap his 2-year-old girl, but the man had refused to press charges at the time.

The disconcerting accusations were outlined in a second arrest affidavit filed against Darriynn Brown, the 18-year-old arrested and charged in the heinous murder of Cash Gernon, who was found in a pool of his own blood by a jogger.

Brown is accused of entering a home in February and rifling through the closets before a homeowner grabbed a kitchen knife and forced him to leave. He then allegedly damaged the door in order to gain entry again, punched the homeowner in the forehead, and walked into the living room where the homeowner's 2-year-old granddaughter was sleeping.

The affidavit says that Brown picked up the girl and tried to make his way out the back door when the homeowner confronted him and wrenched his granddaughter away. Brown allegedly punched him in the face and fled the scene.

Astoundingly, the homeowner decided not to press charges at the time of the incident.

Investigators talked to the homeowner three days after Cash Gernon was found dead, and he decided to press charges at that time.

In addition to the charges of kidnapping and theft in the murder of Cash Gernon, Brown now faces two new charges of injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual, and burglary. Police say more charges are pending the results of forensic analysis.

A figure fitting Brown's description was captured on surveillance video kidnapping the child from his crib the night before he was found dead. Brown's mother told the media that her son is completely innocent and that he was framed for the crime.

The boy was in the care of his father's girlfriend at the time of his abduction and murder. The mother of Cash said that she didn't know where her children were and that the father had left the two boys with his girlfriend without notifying her about their whereabouts.

Here's a local news report about the new charges:

Accused Child Killer Darriynn Brown Faces New Charges In Cash Gernon Casewww.youtube.com

'I will never forgive myself': Father of 4-year-old boy murdered in Dallas explains why he left him with his girlfriend for months



The father of the 4-year-old boy found murdered in the middle of a street in Dallas, Texas, explained why he left his twin boys with his girlfriend after growing public scrutiny.

Cash Gernon was found laying in a pool of blood by a jogger on the morning of May 16. Police later arrested 18-year-old Darriynn Brown as a suspect in the murder.

One of the immediate mysteries arising out of the case was why the boy and his twin brother were not with his parents but instead living at the home of an unrelated guardian identified as Monica Sherrod.

On Sunday, the boy's father posted a video statement to the YouTube page of his sister in order to explain the circumstances surrounding the death of his son.

"I'll start by clarifying my absence," Trevor Gernon said.

"I knew Monica for a few good years before moving to the Dallas area. She was a single parent like me, so naturally I would ask her advice on local things. At the end of February, beginning of March, Monica offered her home and help, which i was thankful for, being a single dad with twin 4-years-olds can be overwhelming from time to time," he explained.

"When I decided to move back to Houston, after an unsuccessful job hunt amongst other things, I felt it was in the boys' best interest to not disrupt their routine. They were comfortable, they were around other kids, and from what it appeared, Monica was a trustworthy person," he added.

"This choice I made with the best of intentions has resulted in the most horrific outcome. I have paid the most ultimate, painful price for my poor judgment, and I have to live with this devastation every single day. I will never forgive myself," he said. "This is a nightmare that doesn't go away when I open my eyes in the morning."

The father also addressed the boy's mother, Melinda Seagroves. She has claimed that the father ran off with the children and that she has been trying to locate them for months.

"Mindy, I am so sorry that I failed to keep him safe. That is my job as a dad, and I was not able to do that and I'm sorry," he said emotionally. "To make matters worse, I have to fear for my freedom as it is the goal of some to see me go to jail rather than grieve the loss of my little boy. All I want to do is have that one thing that every parent deserves to say goodbye and be with my son one last time."

Harrowing surveillance video caught the moment that Brown allegedly snuck into the room where Gernon was sleeping and snatched him from his crib. Another video shows the same man allegedly attempting to kidnap the boy's twin brother, but then run off without him.

Brown has been charged with kidnapping and burglary, but police say more charges could be added depending on the results of forensic tests.

The video of the father's statement shuffles through images of the father with his two boys.

Father of Cash Gernon Addresses Publicwww.youtube.com

4-year-old boy found violently murdered in Dallas. Police have arrested an 18-year-old suspect.



A 4-year-old boy was found violently murdered and police have arrested an 18-year-old suspect who might have been caught on video kidnapping the victim.

The disturbing incident unfolded Saturday morning in Dallas when a jogger found the boy's body in the middle of a street.

Dallas police said the matter is being investigated as a murder.

Investigators initially said they believed a "single individual" killed the boy with an "edged weapon" based on the condition of the body.

The woman who said she found the body of the child spoke to KTVT-TV about what happened. She said that she went out to jog that morning because it was such a beautiful day outside. She said she was startled to see the boy lying in the street and called 911.

"That image that I saw, I just can't erase it. To see a child covered in blood in the middle of the street, it's truly traumatizing," said the woman, who added that the boy wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes.

By Saturday evening, police confirmed that they had a suspect in custody, and later identified him as 18-year-old Darriynn Brown.

Brown was initially charged with kidnapping and theft, but officials said they expect to add more charges pending their investigation and forensic analysis.

A woman, who identified herself as the boy's mother to WFAA, told the station that his name was Cash Gernon and claimed that he had been sleeping when he was kidnapped. Police said that the woman was the boy's guardian.

This 4y/o boy was found murdered on Saturday am on Saddlerige drive in the Mountain Creek Area in Dallas.Mom iden… https://t.co/rv9n3BybRr

— Malini Basu (@MaliniBasu_) 1621212902.0

She said that the boy had a twin brother who is in the custody of the state. She also said that she has no idea why Brown allegedly killed the boy, and claimed that they had no prior relationship.

Residents told WFAA that they would see Brown walking through the neighborhood. Court records showed that he lived about a half-mile away from the crime scene with his parents.

"Hard to believe. I don't think he was in his right mind," said one resident named Jose Ramirez.

The boy's guardian claimed that Brown was caught on surveillance video breaking into the back of the home.

Brown was held on a bond of $750,000 for each charge. His mother told KTVT that Brown was innocent and had been framed by the real killer of the child, whom she suspected to be part of his family.

Here's more about the incident:

Investigation Underway After 4-Year-Old Boy Found Murdered In Street In Dallaswww.youtube.com