Dad Of Boys Who Drowned In River May Have Been On Drugs: Police

CROWN POINT, IN — A Thayer man whose two sons died after drowning Tuesday in the Kankakee River might have been under the influence of drugs while on probation. The Times reported 34-year-old Eric J. Patillo pleaded guilty in May to felony heroin possession in Newton County and was sentenced to 18 months in prison before a judge decided to put Patillo on probation instead, according to Newton County Superior Court records. During a press conference Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez reported witnesses believe Patillo looked like he was going in an out of consciousness, possibly due to unspecified drugs near the time his sons Evan Patillo, 2, and Levi Patillo, 4, drowned, The Times said.

According to the news report, the Indiana DNR Law Enforcement District 10 said two fishermen contacted 911 just after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, concerned about the boys' safety and reported there were two other men in the area. A second call was made as police were on their way to the scene, which reported the boys were unresponsive after the fisherman found them in different parts of the water, DNR reported.

The Times reported the boys were taken to separate hospitals where they were each pronounced dead, adding that the sheriff said police want to question 31-year-old Jesse B. Lintner as a witness about what happened, as witnesses said Lintner was with the Patillo family.

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Patch reported Wednesday Patillo is being held on felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff Martinez said Patillo's drug and alcohol test results are pending, in addition to autopsy results for the boys' cause of death.

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