Police say a Hyattsville man beat his girlfriend's 1-year-old son to death last week and tried to pass it off as an accident.
The baby, Jason Perez, died at a local hospital Friday, after spending two days there. Crews brought him to the hospital after responding to a home on 30th Avenue for the report of an unresponsive child.
Police said Jason's mother left him in the care of her boyfriend, 21-year-old Melvin E. Melendez, last Wednesday. Melendez called 911 several hours later to report the baby had fallen out of bed and wasn't breathing.
An autopsy revealed Jason was severely beaten. His death was ruled a homicide.
Melendez has been charged with second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse.
