$500,000 Bond Established for Parents in Connection with Son’s Death
A Warren couple has been arraigned in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas regarding the tragic death of their 11-year-old son, Hunter Towne. Hunter passed away on January 10 in a room at the Extended Stay America Premier Suites on Jefferson Drive in Independence.
Authorities reported that Hunter had been suffering from Hirschsprung’s disease and other health complications since birth and had been ill in the days leading up to his death. The medical examiner’s office determined that his passing was due to “caregiver medical neglect.”
John Towne and Ahhra Pugh face serious charges, including murder, endangering children, felonious assault, permitting child abuse, involuntary manslaughter, and tampering with evidence. Both parents pleaded not guilty to these charges.
The judge has set their bond at $500,000, and they are scheduled to appear in court again on November 19. Investigators noted that Hunter and his family, which includes five other children and two pets, had been living in “deplorable conditions” at the hotel.