Stepfather in 2-Month-Old’s Death Arrested and Charged

WASHINGTON – Demetrius Beatty, 40, of the District of Columbia, was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children for the August 16 death of a two-month-old child in his custody, in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

Beatty made his initial appearance September 17 before Superior Court Judge Dorsey Jones. Judge Jones found probable cause that Beatty committed the offenses and ordered him to be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing on September 28, 2026, before Judge J. Michael Ryan.    

According to court documents, on August 16, 2026, Beatty was left with two of his stepchildren, two-month-old twins, alone in his residence with three other minor children. Officers responded to 809 New Jersey Avenue Southeast and located a two-month-old child unconscious and unresponsive.  An autopsy was done on the baby where it was determined that her cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries to the head and the manner of death was homicide.  

Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case is being investigated by the Special Victims Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

2026 CF1 014643