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Man arrested, accused of felony homicide connected to 4-year-old’s death in Norfolk

Posted at 3:59 PM, Dec 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-18 16:01:46-05

NORFOLK, Va. -  A dad was wanted for felony homicide after his 4-year-old son was beaten to death in a Norfolk home in November 2018.

Hank Smith

Police released a tweet on Wednesday stating that 40-year-old Hank Smith Jr. has been charged with one count of felony homicide. Smith was charged back in May 2019 with one count of felony child abuse. Both charges are related to the death of 4-year-old Larkin Carr.

Smith was bond for the felony child abuse charge with a preliminary hearing date set for January 2020. Police then announced a warrant for his arrest on the homicide charge and are were searching for him.

On Friday police said Smith was arrested in Harrisonburg.

Catherine Seals and her 15-year-old son also have charges stemming from Larkin Carr's death. The son was 14-years-old at the time of the murder.

The teenager was charged with the second-degree murder of Carr, and Sealshas been in custody since January after being charged with child abuse and neglect. The teen waived his rights in court and his charge of second-degree murder was certified to the grand jury.

Seals faces both felony homicide and child abuse and neglect charges. She met with the grand jury on May 1, and her trial is set for August 12 in Norfolk Circuit Court.

Police were called to the 6300 block of Sangamon Avenue for a report of an unresponsive child around 7 p.m. on November 12, 2018.

Documents say the then 14-year-old was home with the victim the day of the incident and called his mother when the victim wasn’t responsive.

Larkin's mother, Tracey Quinones, said her two sons were living with Smith and Seals.

The child's autopsy report reveal that he suffered between 80 and 90 bruises on his body, along with other injuries.

It stated he suffered from inadequate food, inadequate medical care, dehydration and prior abuse. He had been sick three days leading up to his death.

The Medical Examiner ruled homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to his abdomen.

Seals told authorities that Larkin had been ill and became unresponsive while left at home in the care of her teenage son. She told them she was out with the child’s father when the incident happened.