A man charged with child cruelty in the death of his 5-year-old son was charged with assaulting a woman last year, but the charges were later dropped.
Police and paramedics called to a third-floor apartment at Connecticut Avenue and Albemarle Street in Northwest D.C. before 10 a.m. Sunday found the boy naked and unconscious in squalid conditions, according to court documents. Paramedics tried to revive the boy, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
It’s unclear how the boy died, and autopsy results are pending.
The boy's father, Deandre Pettus, is charged with cruelty to children.
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When Pettus made his first court appearance Monday morning, an assistant U.S. attorney said, “Your honor, the government has no objection to releasing the defendant on his own personal recognizance. We are asking for a stay away/no contact order."
“I wonder would GPS be appropriate in this case?” the judge asked.
“Your honor, at this time, we are not asking for GPS,” the prosecutor said.
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“While preliminary autopsy results have not established that a homicide occurred, we have nevertheless charged the defendant with a felony child abuse charge,” The U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement to News4. “Because there is an ongoing prosecution, we cannot comment further.”
In May 2023, Pettus was charged with assault after a woman told police he hit her in the face and threatened her with a gun, according to court documents. D.C. Child and Family Services took Pettus’ son and two daughters away, but nine months later the charges were dropped for reasons unknown. Pettus soon got the children back, and Child and Family Services began supervising the family.
Pettus has been ordered to stay away from his children. He also has been ordered to stay away from the woman he allegedly assaulted until June.
Boy died living in squalor
A witness told police the boy’s father, Deandre Pettus, admitted punching his son before calling 911, court documents say. The same witness told police Pettus said “he had been punching the decedent about his body … and that he was lying when he told first responders that the decedent had run into a wall and fallen.” The witness also mentioned to police “seeing Deandre Pettus punch the decedent on prior occasions.”
In court documents, a detective wrote, “Through the entirety of the apartment, unsanitary conditions exist with large amounts of garbage, clothing and assorted property strewn about in every room.”
“Soiled dishes were observed stacked in the sink, on the counters and on the stove. This room, like others, has garbage and debris all over the floor.”
“Our condolences go out to the family of the 5-year-old, whether it’s the mother whether it’s the grandmother,” Chief of Police Pamela Smith said. “This young man was a student at one of our schools, and so this is certainly a tragedy that doesn’t just impact his family, but it impacts those who have relationships with him in our community.”
The little boy attended Murch Elementary School in Northwest.
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