A Montville NJ man has been indicted by a Morris County grand jury in the homicide of a toddler.
The 28-year-old suspect is from Altoona, Pennsylvania. He had moved to Montville New Jersey to live with his girlfriend and her three-year-old son. The suspect was staying at the Knights Inn hotel, which is located in the Pine Brook area of Montville, when he allegedly beat the toddler.
The victim was rushed to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson NJ on April 10, 2015. Three days later, after the victim was taken off life support and died, Morris County medical examiners performed an autopsy and determined that the death was caused by blunt force trauma to the boy’s head.
During the subsequent investigation into the child’s death, the suspect allegedly tried to hinder apprehension by giving Montville NJ authorities a false name.
Now the suspect is set to face trial after a Morris County grand jury indicted him on charges of murder and aggravated assault. The aggravated assault charges stem from allegations that he also beat the child’s mother.
Additionally, the suspect has been indicted for endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
If and when the suspect stands trial in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown, prosecutors are likely to argue that he murdered the victim by causing serious bodily injury. This is a distinct theory from the theory of intentional homicide, which would require prosecutors to show that the suspect knowingly and purposefully committed the murder.
While the suspect awaits trial, he remains in Morris County Jail, located in Morristown NJ. He is being held at the correctional facility in lieu of a massive $1 million bail amount.
To learn more about this case, check out the DailyRecord.com article, “Man Indicted on Charge of Battering, Killing Boy in Montville.”
