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MILLCREEK — A 18-month-old toddler died Sunday morning after fighting for his life for two days at Primary Children's Hospital. Unified Police Department reported that the stepfather drowned the young boy.
UPD said that Ethan Antes died Sunday morning at 9:52 a.m.
Neighbors said it wasn't what they heard that set them on edge Friday night, it was the unusual silence that scared them.
“It was pretty quiet last night,” neighbor Steve Martin said. “You kind of shrug things off. It was kind of a surprise to us when all the sudden, the paramedics and the police came.”
Police arrived to what they thought was an accidental drowning, but after looking at the marks on the child's upper body, they started investigating the stepfather — Codey Jolley — for child abuse.
“It’s an early investigation, but they decided to arrest the male who was there for attempted criminal homicide of a child,” detective Ken Hansen of the Unified Police Department said.
Martin said people in the apartment complex are traumatized and want to do something to show they care.
“We made a little memorial here today. All the neighbors in the apartment complex are coming by and starting to leave trinkets just to let them know that they are in our prayers,” he said.
He noticed Jolley seemed aggressive toward Ethan and his mother, but he didn't expect anything like this.
“There’s been a couple times we’ve heard quite a bit of yelling and screaming, arguing a lot,” Martin said. “They’ve only been here a couple months.”
The probable cause statement showed that a few weeks ago, the toddler sustained burns from scalding coffee, which Jolley allegedly said the boy spilled on himself. A few days ago, the child fell from his highchair, which the stepfather said was the toddler's fault. And this time, Jolley said the child accidentally drowned in the bathtub. All three incidents occurred when Jolley was the only one with the child, the statement said.
“Right now, there is much more to be done,” Hansen said.
Police booked Jolley on attempted child abuse homicide charges.
A [GoFundMe account](<http://www.gofundme.com/2envh9sc >)* was created to help pay for Ethan's funeral expenses.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/questions/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
