PORT ARTHUR, Texas — The trial of 38-year-old Jaylin Lewis is set to begin this week over two years after he was arrested for a crime that police at the scene say was hard to even fathom.
Back in May of 2022 Port Arthur police arrived at a home in the 300 block of Richmond Avenue, there they discovered the severely malnourished body of 4-year-old King Dewey locked in a closet with a padlock.
At the time of his death the toddler weighed just 19 pounds according to Justice of the Peace Mark Derouen.
Lewis is being charged on two counts of injury to a child with serious bodily injury, and is accused of severely neglecting King Dewey which resulted in the child's death.
The PCA says Lewis was aware Dewey was malnourished and deteriorating health, and failed to seek medical attention and confined the child in a locked closet.
Lewis was the third and final suspect arrested in connection to the death of Dewey. The boy's mother Tina Louis, 43, and his sister, Kirsten Louis, 21 were also taken into into custody and each charged with two counts of injury to a child.
RELATED: Third suspect arrested in connection with death of 4-year-old boy found in Port Arthur home
Lewis had fled Port Arthur and was later found in the Houston area before being arrested in group effort involving the Jefferson County Fugitive Warrant Division and U.S. Marshal Task Force.
"The circumstances surrounding [Dewey's] death were terrible. Our guys took it personally and spent a lot of time doing good police work, tracking leads, to track [Lewis] down," Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens told 12News.
Lewis is facing a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
If he is found guilty by the jury, Judge West has the option to stack the sentences because a child was involved.