Parents, grandparents charged after 7-day-old baby mauled to death by family dog

HUNTINGTON COUNTY, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) - A 7-day-old Indiana boy died last year after being attacked by a dog named Chomp. Now, several of the baby’s family members are facing charges in his death.

Six people are facing charges after 7-year-old day old Jason A. Weaver was mauled to death by a family dog named Chomp on September 4, 2025. They have been identified as follows:

• The baby’s father, Austin Kinsey (two counts of neglect and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog that injured someone);
• The baby’s mother, Violet Weaver (one count of neglect);
• The baby’s grandfather, Timothy Kinsey (one count of neglect);
• The baby’s uncle, Tony Kinsey (one count of neglect);
• The baby’s step-grandfather, Michael Wickey (one count of neglect and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog);
• The baby’s grandmother, Rita Wickey (one count of neglect and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog).

On the day of the incident, police were dispatched to a home in Markle for reports of a dog attacking a baby who was having trouble breathing. When they arrived, one officer noted a “strong odor of animal, trash, and dirt everywhere in the home,” according to court records.

The officer attempted CPR until medics arrived and took over caring for the infant.

An autopsy later showed more than 180 abrasions and several bruises on the boy’s head, neck, torso, back and limbs. It also uncovered major internal injuries like brain hemorrhages, rib fractures and tears in the lungs.

During interviews with family members, police learned Jason’s father, Austin Kinsey, was playing video games when he briefly left the room to talk to his mother and his son’s mother, court records say.

Soon after, Jason’s grandfather, Timothy Kinsey, burst through the door with the baby in his arms, telling them to call for an ambulance. He later explained that he was in the kitchen when he heard Jason making noises and saw Chomp dragging the infant. He took the baby to Rita Wickey‘s room for help.

Family members described Chomp as being gentle with Jason, saying he would rock the baby’s bouncer and “love” on him, court documents show. But they also said he was a jealous dog who was often aggressive toward other animals and had bitten people before.

After one such incident, Rita Wickey told someone who has not been charged in the case that he could carry a gun in the house to shoot Chomp if there were any further issues, court records say.

Court documents also detail the house being filled with bugs, including some in Jason’s car seat, as well as trash, dirty dishes and dirty clothes.

“There were so much trash and debris, officers could barely walk through the home,” one officer wrote. “I also observed numerous cockroaches and flying bugs on the walls, floor, ceiling, and doorways.”

Shortly after Jason died, someone from the Huntington County Health Department determined the home was not fit for people to live in and ordered them to vacate by Sept. 8.

Chomp and other dogs were taken from the home after the incident.

Court records say that while he was at the Huntington County Animal Shelter, Chomp showed no aggression or signs of rabies. He was later euthanized.

After a necropsy was performed, a veterinarian found no internal or external abnormalities. It also noted the dog was “in an ideal body condition with no underlying medical conditions.”

All six of the people charged in the case are being held at the Huntington County Jail.