A 34-year-old Parma man who killed his 5-year-old son pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with the first eligibility of parole after 45 years, according to the Cuyahoga County Prossecutor’s Office.
On March 25, 2021, Matthew Ponomarenko struck his son, Jax, multiple times with a baseball bat in his home on Russell Avenue, authorities said.
After killing Jax, Matthew called 911 and told a dispatcher he had killed his son with a baseball bat, and he was hearing voices.
Officers arrived at the scene and arrested Matthew in the front yard. Police said officers found Jax lying on the living room floor with multiple blunt-force injuries to his head and face, and they pronounced him dead.
On Thursday, Matthew pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- One count of aggravated murder
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of endangering children
RELATED: Parma man accused of killing 5-year-old son pleads not guilty by reason of insanity
