An Orange County barber is behind bars, facing charges of torture and murder in the death of 6-year-old Chance Crawford, a boy he was babysitting. Ernest Lamar Love, 41, from Placentia, has been charged with murder, torture, and child abuse causing death—all felonies. If convicted on all charges, Love faces up to 32 years to life in prison, with an additional five years tacked on.
The tragic case centers around Crawford, who was brought to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County last Friday by Love. The young boy was unconscious and struggling to breathe, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The day before his hospitalization, Crawford had finished his first day of first grade and was dropped off at Love’s barbershop around 6:30 p.m. so Love could babysit him while his mother worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
What happened next is the focus of the prosecution’s horrifying accusations. “Less than three hours earlier, video surveillance shows Love walking into his barbershop with a large piece of raw lumber, with a reluctant Chance following behind him,” the DA’s office stated. Prosecutors allege that Love used the lumber to beat Crawford after the boy wet his pants at a local park.
The boy’s injuries were devastating. Upon examination at the hospital, doctors discovered severe wounds, including flesh missing from his buttocks, subdural hematomas, and extreme brain swelling. The injuries were consistent with violent shaking, leading doctors and prosecutors to believe the boy had been subjected to prolonged abuse.
“Love is accused of beating the first grader with the piece of lumber, then pouring hydrogen peroxide on the open wounds before forcing the boy to do push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks,” prosecutors said. When Crawford collapsed, instead of calling 9-1-1, Love brought the boy to the hospital.
Chance Crawford succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, leaving a community in shock. “While his new classmates were celebrating the end of the first week of first grade, Chance’s seat in his classroom was empty as he fought for his life in a hospital bed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Words do not exist to describe the absolute terror this little boy was forced to endure – all at the hands of someone who was supposed to be protecting him, not torturing him to death.”
Prosecutors have vowed to pursue justice for Chance, seeking to be the protectors in death that he tragically lacked in life.