County Sheriff Robert Pickell said at a news conference Thursday . CNN was unable to reach someone who could speak on Hayes ' behalf . Hayes ' motivation for his savage multiday attack on the boy was that the child `` had wet his pants , '' Leyton said . `` It had happened before . '' Hayes also resented the child because his `` biological father would n't pay child support , '' Leyton said . Dominick 's mother , Corrine Baker , was present for at least some of the beating and tried to shield the boy from Hayes ' aggression , authorities said . `` She tried to lay on top of the child to guard the child against being beat any further , but she was beat in the process , '' according to the police chief . The sequence of events that led to the discovery of the abuse began when Baker 's sister and several acquaintances came to the apartment to buy drugs from Hayes , according to Allen . After seeing Dominick 's condition , the sister alerted the boy 's paternal grandfather , who in turn contacted authorities . When emergency responders
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Michigan man could face life in prison after he allegedly tortured and ultimately killed his girlfriend 's 4-year-old son last week for wetting his pants , prosecutors say . Brandon Joshua-Frederick Hayes , 24 , `` systematically beat '' Dominick Calhoun , 4 , `` pummeling -LSB- him -RSB- with fists and kicking him '' on his arms , legs and genitalia , Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton told CNN . Hayes also apparently burned the boy in the course of the torture . `` The knuckles across one hand were charred , '' Argentine Township police chief Dan Allen said . `` I 've been doing this a long time , and this is the worst case of child abuse I 've ever seen , '' the police chief said . `` In all respects , he was tortured . '' Prosecutors arraigned Hayes on Thursday on nine charges , including one count of first-degree premeditated murder , one count of first-degree child abuse and one count of torture , which by itself carries a possible life sentence . `` Little Dominick met his boogeyman , and that was defendant Hayes , '' Genesee