Man arrested in connection with 2012 cold case murder of 16-month-old boy, AG's office says

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) -- A man has been arrested in connection with the 2012 murder of a toddler, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton's Office.

Eric Johnson, 39, was taken into custody by the La Porte Police Department for the 2012 murder of 16-month-old Shawn McCloskey after new developments stemmed from the Office of the Attorney General's "Texas Solves: Collaboration Workshop" held in May, according to authorities.

The attorney general's office says that the murder happened on July 19, 2012, when McCloskey's mother found the toddler unresponsive after Johnson, who was her boyfriend at the time, had cared for the child the night before. McCloskey was later taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

According to officials, an autopsy revealed that McCloskey had suffered multiple blunt force injuries equivalent to those seen in a high-speed vehicle crash. The toddler's death was ruled a homicide, authorities said.

Johnson was identified as a primary suspect early in an extensive investigation by La Porte police detectives, the AG's office said.

"My Cold Case Unit has secured the evidence needed to arrest Eric Johnson for the murder of 16-month-old baby Shawn McCloskey. My office worked closely with the La Porte PD to bring justice to the victim of such a heartbreaking and heinous violent crime," Attorney General Paxton said. "We will continue to do everything we can to solve cold cases across the state."