Octopus Removed From 2-Year-Old’s Throat; Child Abuse Charges Filed

#1

A Wichita toddler is in serious condition, and his mother's boyfriend is suspected of child abuse after he failed to call for emergency help when the 2-year-old was found with a live octopus in his throat.

#2

Police records show 36-year-old Matthew Gallagher was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of child abuse. He was babysitting the toddler while his mother was at work. Records are unclear if the octopus was purposely placed there or if it is just a case of improper supervision. Gallagher has since been released, but jail officials provided no additional details in the case as of yet. Detectives have been investigating the case and have new evidence to submit at his court hearing.

#3

The two-year-old boy's mother returned from work to find her boyfriend on the living room floor giving the child CPR. The boy was not breathing and he had not called 911.

When the mother called an ambulance. EMS rushed the boy to a local hospital where doctors found the small and still alive octopus in the boy's throat with unusual injuries to his face. The ER doctors removed the small octopus lodged in the boy's throat. The octopus' head was about two inches in diameter.

#4

Neighbors say they saw police at the home Tuesday night and are stunned to hear of the allegations. They said that they had never heard of any problems or trouble with Gallagher or his girlfriend and son and that they were good neighbors.

"I teach a lot of swim lessons with a lot of kids, shocking how someone could do that to kid it's just strange the situation," said neighbor Mitchell Wagner. "It's not like they live near any octopus filled waters."

#6

Police Lt. James Espinoza said Thursday the boy has been upgraded to good condition and he doesn't show signs of long-term injury caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain. Gallagher is set to return to court on the charges of child abuse, but is reported to have told one newspaper that the boy thought he was eating sushi and he could not stop him until it was too late. The bruises on the boys face have not been explained.