Van Erick Custodio: Ex-professor faces charges for murdering 6-week-old child he adopted
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
Gaston, North Carolina — A former Belmont Abbey and UNC Charlotte professor is facing a first-degree murder charge after his 6-week-old adopted child died on April 13, 2022. According to the Gastonia Police Department, officials were called to the house of Van Erick Custodio, 42, in Gastonia, N.C., for an infant in cardiac arrest on Friday, April 1.
The Gastonia Police Department announced on Thursday, April 14 that Van Erick Custodio, 42, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 6-week-old Lucas Birchim. Custodio is a former lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Belmont Abbey College. He taught computer science at Belmont Abbey College and was employed in 2019, according to a campus official. He was not teaching at the time of the alleged incident because he had requested family leave.
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Custodio was initially charged with child abuse, but the charges were enhanced after the child died on Wednesday, April 13 at a local hospital. A fractured skull and a broken rib were among the injuries endured by the baby. Custodio has been in custody since his arrest in York County, South Carolina on Monday, April 11. He was extradited to North Carolina and is currently being jailed on a $500,000 bond. He allegedly confessed to throwing the newborn on the couch during the investigation.
In a press release, the police said, “During the investigation, detectives determined that the infant’s cardiac arrest was related to injuries sustained that were consistent with being physically abused.” Moreover, the infant suffered from a "skull fracture, broken rib, and multiple fractures in each leg," allegedly caused by Custodio. According to Custodio’s friends, he had “squeezed the youngster" and heard a “snap” in the baby’s rib area. He also "jerked the legs of the child back and felt a pop in the child's legs."
Custodio and his wife have an adopted daughter too. The couple issued a public call for help to adopt a second child in a YouTube video titled "Help the Custodios Adopt," on April 8, 2021, when they were looking to expand their family. In the video that also featured his adopted daughter, Custodio said it would take a "miracle" to be able to adopt again. "If you happen to know anyone who is in a crisis pregnancy and would like to generously offer their child up for adoption as a sibling for our daughter," he said, "that would be awesome."
In a statement to PEOPLE, the Both Hands Foundation, an organization that assisted the family with their adoption fundraising efforts, said: "This news has left our entire team devastated. These activities are heinous, and we strongly condemn any forms of cruelty towards minors." What horrors the community is that the family also sought public assistance in raising funds only to end the child’s life in a tragedy.