Community Corner

Man Arrested in Murder of Infant Son

Jameel Earthy East, charged with third-degree murder

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman and Towamencin Township Police Chief Tim Dickinson have announced the arrest of a Towamencin man for the murder of his 3-month-old son.

Jameel Earthy East, of the 400 block of Lantern Lane, Towamencin, is charged with third-degree murder and unsworn falsification to authorities.

He allegedly fractured the skull of his infant son, Enzo East, police said.

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East will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. before District Judge Catherine Hummel Fried in Red Hill.

On June 25, police were contacted by the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth Servics regarding Enzo East. Police said Children and Youth reported East was transported from his home to Abington Health Lansdale Hospital on June 24.

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Enzo was unresponsive upon arrival, and was then Medevaced to and treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Enzo East was diagnosed with a fractured skull and brain injury and was not expected to survive, police said.

At 8:12 p.m., June 25, Enzo East was pronounced dead at CHOP, police said. The body was transported to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.

An autopsy was conducted June 27 by the office. A forensic pathologist found that Enzo East suffered two skull fractures and had died from blunt cerebral trauma, police said.

The death was ruled a homicide.

On June 28, Montgomery County Detective James McGowan and Towamencin Police Sgt. Gary Wacker interviewed Jameel East at the Towamencin Township Polcie Department.

East told police he did not cause any injury to his son while babysitting him on June 24, police said.

East then told police that Enzo had stopped breathing after he dropped him while attempting to perform CPR on the infant in the second-floor hallway of his home, police said.

East said that after attempting CPR, he carried Enzo down the stairway and fell against the hallway handrail, police said. 

East said the back of Enzo's head struck the wall with force as he fell on the stairway.

When East was confronted by detectives about inconsistencies in his story, East allegedly provided the following account, police said:

He was in his grandmother's room with Enzo. East said Enzo vomited onto his shorts.

East said he then carried Enzo into the "green" bathroom to bathe him.

East told police he was "overwhelmed" as he went into the bathroom and struck Enzo's head against the hard counter surface between the two sinks, police said.

East told police he heard a "loud bang" as Enzo's head struck the back of the counter below the mirror, police said. East described Enzo as appearing to be "in shock," police said.

East told police he bathed Enzo and noticed that he was not breathing and that Enzo's eyes were rolling back into his head, police said.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Samantha Cauffman and Jordan Friter.


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