COLUMBUS, Ind. – A Bartholomew County man was arrested Monday afternoon and is being held on a $1 million bond as part of a death investigation conducted by Columbus Police Department (CPD) detectives.
On the morning of March 21, officers responded to a residence in the 4300 block of Serenity Drive in regards to a child who was reportedly not breathing. They spoke with Travis Tuttle, 35, of Columbus, and then located his deceased eight-year-old son, Lealyn Tuttle, in the home.
CPD began an investigation that lasted several months and led to the execution of a search warrant for the house. Authorities allegedly found narcotics, including fentanyl, and other drug paraphernalia inside the home.
An autopsy showed Lealyn’s cause of death was acute fentanyl and diphenhydramine intoxication.
Travis Tuttle was taken into custody without incident on Monday and taken to Bartholomew County Jail. He was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and possession of a narcotic drug.
