An 8-year-old boy passed away after a California man allegedly beat him over the head with a hammer and attacked him with a knife. Police say the boy was attempting to protect his little sister when in the incident occurred.

WSFA reports that on September 1, 23-year-old Deandre Chaney Jr. allegedly attacked Dante Daniels, 8, with a hammer and knife in the boy’s Sacramento home. Chaney reportedly was in the process of attempting to “commit a lewd act” on Dante’s 7-year-old sister, Danae, when the boy stepped in to intervene. Chaney is the boy’s mother’s ex-boyfriend.

“Trying to save his sister from this child molester, and that’s why he was beat the worst,” Dante’s grandmother, Monique Brown, told WSFA.

Detectives said Chaney beat the boy with a hammer, then stabbed him with a knife. He then turned the knife towards Danae and the children’s mother, Elizabeth Salone, 28. The suspect also reportedly used lighter fluid during the attacks.

The little girl and her mother survived the ordeal, but Dante died six days after the attack. Chaney reportedly beat him so brutally that he left the little boy brain dead.

“This guy beat my grandson with a hammer. Down to his spine. They couldn’t save his brain,” Brown told Fox40. “Dante gave his heart to a 4-year-old In Southern California, so a 4-year-old lives because of [him],”

The hero little boy had just started third grade and completed two days of school; he never made it in for his third day of class.

Chaney is charged with murder, attempted murder, and lewd acts with a child under 14. He’s behind bars without bail.

Meanwhile, the family set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the victims’ medical expenses.

Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.

[Feature Photo: GoFundMe]