12-year-old dies after he’s forced to take long ice baths as punishment, Ohio cops say
An Ohio man is accused of forcing a 12-year-old boy to take long ice baths before the boy died.
Anthony J. McCants is charged with endangering children, according to court records.
Attorney information for McCants was not available.
On March 22, police in Akron responded to a call for a cardiac arrest, according to WOIO.
The 12-year-old boy was found unresponsive when officers arrived, WKYC reported. He was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
According to a criminal complaint, the boy was forced to take two ice baths, one for 45 minutes and one for 30 minutes, as punishment, WJW reported. In between the baths, he was forced to do “pushups and other physical activity,” the complaint said, according to the outlet.
The boy then began to vomit and seize, WOIO reported. When he died at the hospital, his core temperature was 74 degrees.
McCants is known to the boy’s family and was in charge of his safety the day of his death, WKYC reported.
McCants is held on a $500,000 bond, court records show. The case is set to go before a grand jury, WJW reported.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM with the headline "12-year-old dies after he’s forced to take long ice baths as punishment, Ohio cops say."
