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LISBON -- A father whose infant son died in his care at the Frola Motel four years ago has been charged in connection with that death and was in county Municipal Court Tuesday on new charges.
Aaron Michael Delo, 29, Fairfield School Road, Columbiana, was served a secret indictment charging him with involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and endangering children, a third-degree felony.
Delo is accused of causing the death of Dallas Xavier Delo. The 4-month-old infant died sometime in the overnight hours of Dec. 31, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2018.
Assistant County Prosecutor Steve Yacovone said Tuesday authorities were called to the Frola Motel due to the deceased infant over New Year's Eve in 2017. He declined to say the cause of the death of the infant. He said Delo is scheduled to appear for arraignments in early March and he is being held on a $75,000 cash or surety bond.
The mother of the child, Megan Hetrick, also known as Megan Barker, had been staying in room 9 of the motel, located on state Route 45 just outside of Lisbon, earlier on Dec. 31, but she was taken into custody by the county sheriff's office on a warrant for allegations of failure to pay child support.
The mother reportedly was unable to get another family member to come to the room and get her children. Reports at the time indicated a sheriff's deputy and a Lisbon police officer there for back up contacted Children Services due to the condition of the room and one of the three children staying there sleeping on a pile of clothes on the floor of the bathroom. There also were reportedly both cleaning supplies and copper wiring in the room.
Delo had returned and agreed to watch his children and Children Services and deputies had determined there was nothing in the room warranting the removal of the children staying there -- Dallas Delo, his twin sister and an older sister.
After the infant's death, the father reportedly told deputies he brought the children into the bed with him, planning to watch New Year's Eve festivities on TV, but fell asleep. He said he awoke to find the baby unresponsive and investigators had questioned if the father had rolled on the baby.
Former Sheriff Ray Stone indicated at the time the death may have been "a tragic accident."
The felony indictment was issued by the grand jury in February.
Delo also made an appearance in Columbiana County Municipal Court on Tuesday. A pretrial was set March 7 for Delo charged with endangering children and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, with bond set in this case at $7,500 cash or surety.
According to court documents, Delo was arrested on a warrant on Friday at Duke and Duchess in Columbiana. K-9 Csuti positively indicated to a narcotic odor and police found methamphetamine and a glass pipe with burned residue, along with a child in an inadequate booster seat next to a chainsaw and other material scattered inside the vehicle.
djohnson@mojonews.com