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Background: The neighborhood in Round Lake Beach, Ill., where Dominique Servant’s son was found unresponsive on Feb. 6 (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Dominique Servant and Joey Ruffin (Lake County Sheriff’s Office).
Tragedy struck an Illinois community as an 8-year-old boy was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead, sparking allegations of murder against his mother and her boyfriend. The incident unfolded in Round Lake Beach, where authorities charged Dominique Servant, 32, and Joey Ruffin, 38, with the young boy’s death. The child, whose name has been withheld, reportedly showed signs of prolonged abuse and severe malnutrition.
On the fateful day, first responders rushed to the scene following an emergency call from the couple’s residence. They discovered the boy in critical condition, and despite being transported to a hospital, he could not be revived. This heart-wrenching case took a disturbing turn as prosecutors revealed chilling details during the couple’s initial court appearance.
Local news outlet, the Daily Herald, provided a harrowing account of the courtroom proceedings. Prosecutors alleged that Servant and Ruffin subjected the boy to brutal beatings with a belt and denied him food in the days leading to his untimely death. On that Friday afternoon, the couple reportedly found the boy unresponsive. Ruffin attempted to administer CPR before they finally contacted emergency services at 2 p.m.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Lillian Lewis shared that Servant admitted to witnessing Ruffin physically assault her son just a day prior. Additionally, she disclosed to the police that the boy had been placed on a liquid diet starting February 4, raising further concerns about the child’s well-being.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Lillian Lewis said Servant told police that she had seen Ruffin punch her son the day before. She also told police that the boy had been on a liquid diet beginning Feb. 4.
An autopsy of the boy allegedly revealed evidence of bruising all over his body and malnourishment.
In a press release on Facebook, the Round Lake Police said the boy had been the target of “long-term neglect, physical abuse, and mental abuse.” During Sunday’s court appearance, Lewis said Servant told authorities that the couple would make the boy hold weights over his head for extended periods of time as punishment.
Police said a 10-year-old girl living in the home was also showing signs of “abuse and malnourishment.” She and a 3-year-old boy were removed from the home and placed in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Servant and Ruffin were each charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of child endangerment causing death. They were ordered to be held in the Lake County Jail without bond until their court appearance on Monday.
In a follow-up post on Facebook, Round Lake Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said the case had “shaken us to our core.” He added, “There are simply no words that can fully capture the heartbreak we feel as parents, neighbors, friends, and as a police department. When a precious child is taken from us in such a way, it is natural to feel anger. It is natural to feel confusion. It is natural to ask why.”