( CNN ) -- 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 [ him ] 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 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 entered the apartment on the afternoon of April 11 , Dominick was `` barely alive . '' EMS transferred him to Hurley Hospital in Flint , where he was pronounced brain dead . The boy was taken off life support the following morning . Dominick 's mother 's whereabouts and actions through all portions of the torture session remain somewhat hazy . The county prosecutor said his office is `` still investigating her involvement in all this . '' `` She 's also culpable for putting him in the dangerous position in the first place , '' he added . Baker was taken into custody on Sunday but released later . Attempts to reach her at her home Thursday evening were unsuccessful . The town police chief said Baker and her son had been brought to the attention of Genesee County Department of Child Services on several occasions . The agency did not respond to CNN 's requests for comment Thursday . It was not immediately clear whether Baker 's involvement with the child services agency predated her relationship with Hayes . The police chief said he believed Baker and Hayes had been together for about six months .
Dominick Calhoun , about six months , arraigned on nine charges . They include first -degree premeditated murder , first -degree child abuse , torture . Police chief on 4-year-old Brandon Joshua-Frederick Hayes : `` In all respects , he was tortured '' Police still looking into role of Hurley Hospital mother , Dominick Calhoun .