Maryland

Stepgrandfather Charged With Murder After Baby's Death

A Prince George's County man has been charged with murder after his wife's grandson died from he abuse he allegedly suffered while in the man's care. 

Lenwood Pearson, 48, picked 6-month-old Demetri Hooper up from daycare on Sept. 13, police said.

Demetri's father, Leonard Hooper, was running late to the daycare and asked Pearson, his mother's husband, to get the baby, according to police.

When Demetri's father later went to Pearson's Capitol Heights, Maryland, home to pick the boy up, he saw the child was unresponsive.

"It just seemed like something was off," Hooper said. "I saw my son in the car seat. I thought he was sleep."

But when he looked closer, he noticed his son was unresponsive. 

Relatives told News4 Demetri suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs and was brain dead. Demetri died from his injuries two days later. 

Police say an autopsy determined that Demetri died from trauma to his head. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. 

Police say the injuries occurred while the baby was in Pearson's care, but Hooper said Pearson didn't tell him what happened. 

"He never explained anything. He never explained anything," Hooper said. 

Hooper and his girlfriend, Denita Whittaker, are devastated by the death of their only child. 

"This man got super close to us. We thought we could trust him with our child," Whittaker, said. 

Police arrested Pearson and charged him with first- and second-degree child abuse. A homicide charge was added after Demetri's death. 

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