East Pleads Not Guilty

Towamencin resident Jameel East has pleaded not guilty in the June death of his 3-month-old son, Enzo East, according to the Lansdale Reporter.

East was charged with killing his son in June after a caseworker with Montgomery County Children and Youth informed police that the infant had been transported to Lansdale Hospital after sustaining severe head trauma.

The infant was later medevaced to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An autopsy revealed that Enzo had died from multiple skull fractures and blunt force trauma to the head.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, police initially interviewed East about his son's death June 25. At that time, East stated that Enzo had been "fussy" throughout the day, throwing up multiple times. 

After speaking to their family doctor, East then called a friend to transport the infant to the hospital. During the ride, East stated that Enzo stopped breathing, and his body went limp, according to court documents.

Detectives met with East a second time June 25, citing inconsistencies in the statement that he had previously given. During the second interview, court documents state that East changed his story, and that the infant had vomited onto his shorts, at which point he carried his son into a bathroom to bathe him.

East said he was "overwhelmed" as he entered the bathroom, and struck the infant's skull against the counter surface located between to the two sinks, which created a "loud bang," according to the affidavit.

At that time, East described his son as appearing to be "in shock", and while he was bathing Enzo, he observed that the infant was not breathing, and his eyes had rolled into the back of his head.

East remains remanded without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.