Demetrius Beatty, a 40-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, has been arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children following the death of a two-month-old child in his care. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the charges stemming from the incident that occurred on August 16, 2026, in Southeast D.C.
Beatty appeared in court on September 17, where Superior Court Judge Dorsey Jones determined there was probable cause to hold him without bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 28, 2026, before Judge J. Michael Ryan.
According to court documents, Beatty was responsible for two-month-old twins and three other minors when officers responded to a call at 809 New Jersey Avenue Southeast. Upon their arrival, they found one of the infants unconscious and unresponsive. An autopsy later revealed that the child had died from multiple blunt force injuries to the head, with the manner of death classified as homicide.
The case is currently under investigation by the Special Victims Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department, which is working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.
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