Man charged with the murder of 5-year-old found in dumpster pleads not guilty
By Julie Sharp
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PANORAMA CITY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The 20-year-old man charged with the murder of a 5-year-old boy, whose body was found in a Panorama City parking lot dumpster, pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Bryscon Malik Gaddis was the boyfriend of the boy’s mother and is accused of causing the death of Elyjah Hearn. The boy’s body was found in the early morning on July 12 in a parking lot dumpster near the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Prosecutors allege that Gaddis beat the child to death in a Panorama City apartment complex. A day later, the boy’s body was discovered one block away in a parking lot dumpster in the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard. Gaddis is also charged with assault on a child, causing death.
An official cause of Elyjah’s death has been deferred pending additional investigation, according to records from the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
Detectives had reviewed surveillance footage, obtained witness statements, and collected physical evidence, which led them to a Panorama City apartment complex. Five days after the discovery of Elyjah’s body, Gaddis was arrested on July 16.
The boy’s grandfather, Troy Hearn, described Elyjah as a child who loved to run and play. He added that he helped raise him with his wife before her passing.
“I’m so hurt right now, and this is so hard,” Hearn said. “I’m going to miss his presence.”
Gaddis was ordered to remain in jail with $2 million bail and could face a potential maximum state prison sentence of 25 years to life if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
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