IN Father Admits Used Heroin Day Boys In Care Drown In Kankakee River

SCHNEIDER, IN. (THECOUNT) — Eric Patillo, the father of a pair of little boys who drowned in the Kankakee River, admitted to being on drugs during the tragic incident Thursday.

Patillo, 34, was officially charged Thursday with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

Evan Patillo, 2, and Levi Patillo, 4, were identified as the little boys who lost their lives.

According to the affidavit, Patillo admitted to using heroin that morning and tested positive for opiates and THC. “However, Eric Patillo did admit that he was the person responsible for watching his children while they were at the river and that he shouldn’t have been using heroin prior to watching them,” the affidavit states. source

Anthony Kyle and Dylan Sherwood were fishing at the river Tuesday night and saw what was happening and tried to save the boys. They said it looked like their father was going in and out of consciousness while his children drowned.

They called 911 twice. When police arrived, the fishermen had already pulled one boy out.