The department announced the child’s death Friday following an evening incident in the 1600 block of East McKinney Street. Medics transported the child to a hospital with “suspicious and extensive injuries,” and he was pronounced dead.
During a subsequent investigation Friday night, Todd Lofton Shaw — the boyfriend of the child’s mother — was arrested on a felony charge of injury to a child. Tuesday night, Denton police announced they had also arrested the mother, Sabrina Ho, on an identical charge.
The department held a news conference Wednesday morning to release more details about the child’s death and the two arrests. Arrest affidavits detail extensive abuse to the boy, including severe injuries to numerous parts of his body, determined to be caused by Shaw.
“The initial investigation revealed that Todd Lofton Shaw was living off and on with the victim and his mother Sabrina Ho and have been dating for several months,” an affidavit read. “Sabrina Ho explained that she thought the suspect hurt the victim because he has hurt the victim in the past.”
The affidavit includes over a dozen instances of injury to the child, including bruising, swelling, punctures and a burn. The injuries were found on several parts of the body, including severe wounds to the groin area. Not all injuries were included in the affidavit, which states there were “several more.”
Friday, according to Ho’s account in the affidavit, Shaw told her the victim was “acting up and that he went to [sic] far.” Tuesday, Ho came to talk with an officer, and allegedly said Shaw had injured her son during the week of March 7. That particular injury progressed over the course of the next three weeks, according to the affidavit.
“Sabrina stated that she did not seek medical attention because she thought that she would get into trouble,” the affidavit reads. “Sabrina also stated that she kept the victim home from school because she was worried that school personnel would notice the various injuries that the victim had.”
The affidavit also states Ho told police she believed “had she called sooner [on April 1] that the victim would be alive.” She “explained that she had ample opportunity to remove herself and the victim from the suspect over the course of 4 weeks but she failed to do so.”
“Sabrina waited 5 hours on 04/01/22 before calling 911 for medical attention to the victim Phoenix Ho, because she feared that she would get into trouble,” the affidavit states. “Sabrina watched as her boyfriend constructed a box to place over the victim’s head to muffle the breathing as it became louder and louder.”
During Wednesday’s conference, Denton Police Department Deputy Chief Frank Padgett said the abuse may have lasted up to a month, starting with psychological abuse that led to physical abuse. He said the investigation is not over, and “if further charges need to be filed, they will be filed.”
“When you see that type of abuse, you have to report it,” Padgett said. “Unfortunately, Ms. Ho kept Phoenix out of school for several weeks to hide the abuse, didn’t call 911 until it was too late, didn’t take Phoenix to the doctor or an emergency room. To not get in trouble? I mean, she’s in trouble now.”
A statement from Denton ISD obtained Wednesday by Denton Record-Chronicle news partner KXAS-TV (NBC5) confirmed that Phoenix Ho was a second grader in the district. The statement read:
“Denton ISD joins the Denton Police Department as we mourn the tragic loss of Phoenix Ho, second grader. District officials are in full cooperation with local law enforcement, who are currently conducting a thorough investigation. Members of our staff made multiple efforts to contact the family regarding Phoenix, including attendance calls, home visits and wellness checks. Additionally, reports concerning this family were made by our staff to the Department of Family and Protective Services as is required by law.
“Our educators remember Phoenix as ‘a bright-eyed seven-year-old who was energetic, loved learning and coming to school.’ Phoenix’s death is a painful reminder of what we are all fighting to prevent during this April Child Abuse Awareness Month. We encourage community members to contact an educator if they are ever in need of assistance.”
Denton County Jail records show Shaw was booked into the county jail Sunday, with bail set at $1 million. Ho was booked into the county jail Wednesday, with bail set at $500,000.
“April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and it’s a complete tragedy that we lost a child on day one,” Padgett said.
