Brianna Kwekel
Dakota Arndt
Justin Dale Bradley stands with attorney Mike Little before Judge David Bales in the City/County Courts Building. Bradley committed suicide in Hamilton County Jail in September after being charged in 3-year-old Dakota Arndt's death.Brianna Kwekel, the mother of 3-year-old Dakota Arndt, who was beaten to death in August of last year was booked today in the Hamilton County Jail on charges of aggravated child endangerment.
Kwekel, 23, is currently free on a $50,000 bond she posted at 12:15 p.m. today, according to the Hamilton County Jail. Future court dates have not been set at this time.
Dakota's biological father, Tyler Arndt, was in shock upon hearing the news from a Times Free Press reporter, and said that he is relieved to know that she was finally arrested, but disappointed that she so easily posted bond.
"It's been months, but his death still feels so new," he said. "It is nice to see things are finally happening."
Dakota was allegedly beaten to death by Justin Bradley, Kwekel's live-in boyfriend, on a night in August when she was serving time in a local lock-up for a previous DUI charge.
Though Kwekel was not present the night her son was killed, an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services found that she was responsible for Dakota's death.
DCS had previously investigated allegations of abuse, after the boy appeared in a local emergency room with rampant bruising on his body and signs of sexual abuse, but no action was taken.
Before today's arrest, Kwekel had been living in Michigan.