A Montgomery County man was arrested after allegedly murdering his infant son.
Last Friday, police say that Jameel Earthy East was babysitting his 3-month-old son Enzo at a home in Towamencin Township.
Later that night, Enzo was taken to the Abington Lansdale Hospital where he was unresponsive upon arrival. He was then taken by helicopter and treated at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he was diagnosed with a fractured skull and brain injury.
He was pronounced dead the next day at 8:12 p.m. The Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth Services contacted the Towamencin Township Police who began their investigation.
On Monday, an autopsy at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the infant suffered two skull fractures and had died from blunt cerebral trauma. His death was ruled a homicide.
On Tuesday, police brought in East for questioning. East initially allegedly claimed that Enzo stopped breathing after he accidentally dropped him on the ground. He then said that he tried to perform CPR on him. Police say that East then claimed that he carried Enzo down the stairs and fell against the stairway handrail, causing Enzo to strike his head against the wall.
Police further questioned East, claiming that his first story was inconsistent. Police then say that East admitted that he was in his grandmother’s room with Enzo when the infant vomited on his shorts. East then allegedly carried Enzo into a bathroom to bathe him when he was “overwhelmed.” He then allegedly struck Enzo’s head against a bathroom counter, causing the boy to go into shock. He then allegedly bathed Enzo while noticing that he wasn’t breathing and that his eyes were rolling back into his head.
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East is charged with third degree murder and unsworn falsification to authorities.
He was arraigned on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
