Antonio Juan Gonzalez Jr., age 14, was murdered by his father, Antonio Gonzalez, and Gonzalez’s roommate, Paul Bacorn. Antonio was homeschooled. Antonio’s 4-year-old sister was not reported to be abused.
In September 2019, the family moved from Allegheny County to a trailer on a rural property in Mercer County; Bacorn lived in another trailer on the same property and watched the children when Gonzalez was away. The children’s mother had died a few years beforehand. Antonio was enrolled in an online cyber school, but Gonzalez “logged him into school so he wouldn’t get in trouble for missing class.” In late 2019, a concerned neighbor called the police concerned for the children’s safety and wellbeing; the family’s fridge was kept padlocked on the front porch and the trailers were in “deplorable” condition. Antonio was starved, sprayed with a hose, and forced to stand for hours in stress positions. When Antonio died, he weighed only 70 lbs. and officials said he looked like a “concentration camp victim.”
The abuse came to light after Antonio died as a result of hypovolemic shock due to blunt force trauma. Gonzalez called 911 and was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and child endangerment, among other charges. Bacorn was charged with criminal homicide and criminal conspiracy.
Date: October 23, 2019
Location: Delaware Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
>
