Felony child abuse charges filed against Lamar man following death of 16-month-old son

The Barton County Prosecuting Attorney's office filed felony charges against a Lamar man in connection with the March 31 death of his 16-month-old son.

Online Barton County Circuit Court records indicate Jeremy Vanmeter, 31, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death following a Lamar Police Department investigation.

A warrant has been issued for Vanmeter's arrest and his bond has been set at $10,000 cash or surety.

Xavier VanMeter, born November 12, 2019 was described in the following way in his obituary:

Xavier was a happy boy. He loved to talk and would randomly start laughing. He was persistent and always had to be out front leading the way. Xavier was a helper. He liked to help with laundry and throwing things in the trash. He was affectionately known as a little "trash panda" because he was just as likely to pull that same trash back out and walk around the house with his treasure.