'Horrific': Prosecutor says 6-year-old was beaten, locked in pen in Madison Heights mobile home before death

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - WARNING: This story contains graphic details of child abuse.

The Oakland County prosecutor detailed the horrific abuse a 6-year-old Madison Heights boy endured before his death last week.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald described the abuse as she announced new charges against the boy's mother, Elaina Jennings, and her boyfriend, Daniel Giacchina, during a press conference Friday.

Last week, Giacchina was charged with firearm possession by a prohibited person, ammunition possession by a felon, felony firearm, and lying to a peace officer, and Jennings was charged with lying to a peace officer. Both suspects are now charged with murder and first-degree child abuse for the July 30 death of Giovanni ‘Chulo’ Jennings.

Daniel Giacchina and Elaina Jennings 

Chulo died July 30 after Jennings called 911 and said he was unresponsive in the mobile home where she, Giacchina, Giacchina's mother, and Jennings' three children lived. His death was ruled a murder from blunt force trauma and a perforated abdomen. According to McDonald, the boy died "after a lengthy period of confinement and abuse."

"We have spent over 100 hours reviewing extremely disturbing videos and photos, as well as text messages and Facebook chats describing the horrific things that happened to this 6-year-old boy," McDonald said. "What we found can only be described as horrific."

McDonald said the boy had bruising and lacerations across his whole body, including inside his mouth, a bloated abdomen, and an apparent BB wound. His 4-year-old brother was interviewed at child advocacy center Care House and said Giacchina had shot both himself and Chulo with a BB gun.

According to the prosecutor, Chulo was confined in a pen in Giacchina and Jennings' bedroom. He slept on an 11-inch-by-36-inch wooden slat inside the pen, McDonald said. That pen included restraints to keep him inside and curtains so he could not see out.

Evidence showed that Jennings knew about the abuse and sometimes encouraged it, but she failed to get help for the boy because she knew doctors would discover the abuse, the prosecutor said.

The couple allegedly watched the boy with a security camera and would punish him if he misbehaved. According to McDonald, alleged misbehaving included trying to drink, trying to urinate, and attempting to escape what the couple called "The Corner."

McDonald said that one day Chulo was stapled face-first into the corner of the wall by his clothes because he looked out the window.

Giacchina allegedly sent a photo of the boy stapled to the wall with his head wedged in the corner and said he solved the problem of keeping his head in the corner. Giacchina and Jennings both allegedly laughed about this. 

"This is one of the worst cases we’ve seen," McDonald said of the abuse.

McDonald said investigators also found a photo of children handling a handgun and BB gun. Giacchina was in that photo. Another photo allegedly showed two children pointing the handgun at a third child.

The day Chulo died, McDonald said Jennings lied to police and claimed the boy was with his biological father. That man was arrested and questioned. He was released when police learned he was not involved. 

According to McDonald, Giacchina was home with Chulo and Jennings' other children the day of the murder while Jennings was at work, as he typically was.

"Chulo died all day and Danny was there," Chulo's younger brother said during the interview at Care House.

McDonald said Jennings later admitted that a few days before Chulo died, Giacchina punched him in the stomach multiple times, causing him to throw up. The child was allegedly beaten by Giacchina numerous times. 

"It was clear from the evidence that we saw that there was a period of abuse that led to Chulo’s death," McDonald said.

Giacchina and Jennings are being held without bond.

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