Deputies: Man smothered crying son over video game

HOMOSASSA, Fla. — A Florida man suffocated his young, crying son so he could play video games on his Xbox and watch TV, sheriff's deputies said Friday.

Cody Wygant, 24, is charged with third-degree murder and child neglect. He was being held Friday without bail at the Citrus County jail.

Sixteen-month-old Daymeon Wygant wasn't breathing when emergency crews arrived at the home Thursday morning. The child pronounced dead at a hospital, investigators said.

Wygant said he was frustrated because the boy was crying uncontrollably, preventing him from playing his Xbox games, according to investigators. He covered the boy's nose and mouth for three to four minutes until he became lethargic, then placed him in a playpen and covered him with bedding, which was tucked around the boy's body and head, officials said.

Wygant didn't check on Daymeon for five hours, investigators said, while he played Xbox and watched three episodes of the television show Fringe. By the time he checked on the child, Daymeon had turned blue and was unresponsive, they said.

Wygant is the primary care giver for the child, and the mother — Wygant's girlfriend — was not home, officials said.

Upcoming Events