Man Arrested for Murder After Child Found Dead in Panorama City

Tragic Discovery in Panorama City

• 💔 A 5-year-old boy named Elijah was found dead in a Panorama City parking lot.
• 😔 The child's badly beaten body was discovered by a homeless man.
• 🚨 Police were led to a nearby apartment building by a tip, where they arrested the suspect.

Suspect Identified and Arrested

• 👨‍⚖️ The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Bryson Gattis, has been booked for murder and domestic violence.
• 🏠 Gattis was living with his brother and sister-in-law in the apartment complex across from where the child's body was found.
• 🚓 Two search warrants were served, one at the Panorama City apartment complex and another in Hollywood.

Family and Community Grief

• 😥 Troy Kern, Elijah's grandfather, expressed his devastation, stating, "My wife just passed away. We and not. He's gone."
• 💬 A close family friend shared that no child should endure what Elijah went through.

Additional Arrests and Child Protective Services

• 👥 Two people were taken into custody at the apartment complex.
• 🧒 Two children were placed with Child Protective Services.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Gattis's daughter and another individual were taken into custody at the Hollywood location.

Background and Suspect's Family Statements

• 🗣️ Gattis's father stated that his son is not alive and that Elijah had autism.
• 🏥 Gattis's daughter, who has bipolar disorder, was taken for mental health care by family members after her release from custody.
• 😔 The grandfather of the victim expressed regret for not doing more to prevent the tragedy.