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Detectives found unsanitary conditions, garbage 'in every room' of DC apartment where 5-year-old died

Officers say they got a call just before 9:45 Sunday morning, details surrounding the nature of the call have not been released.

WASHINGTON — A D.C. man arrested Sunday in connection with the death of a 5-year-old was previously charged with domestic violence last year, WUSA9 has learned.

DC Police were called to an apartment complex in the 4500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW around 9:30 a.m. Sunday on a report of an unconscious child. The child, a 5-year-old boy, was declared dead on scene after efforts at resuscitation failed. 

On Monday, police said they’d arrested 32-year-old DeAndre Pettus, of Northwest, on a preliminary charge of first-degree cruelty to children in connection with the child’s death. The U.S. Attorney's Office filed the same charge formally against Pettus in D.C. Superior Court Monday afternoon. 

According to an affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court, first responders arrived to find the child unconscious and unresponsive on the floor of the apartment. An autopsy later determined the 5-year-old had two small abrasions on his temples and a "faint contusion" on the back of the scalp. No fractures or other injuries were immediately detected and the cause of death was declared undetermined pending further analysis.

In the affidavit, detectives described seeing unsanitary conditions in the apartment, including "large amount of garbage, clothing and assorted property" strewn about every room. Detectives also spoke with a witness who said Pettus had been upset earlier in the morning about a problem with his car and then returned later distraught about the child.

"Witness-1 stated that the DEFENDANT left out and returned and stated, 'I f***ed up, [the child] is not breathing I was going to his body and he was trying to run and hit the wall. I f***ed up he is unconscious," the detective noted.

According to the detective, the witness then demonstrated what "going to the body" meant: "described as throwing punches towards the decedent's body with full force." 

"Witness-1 stated she has witnessed the defendant punch the decedent in the past and it was with force that was not appropriate for a 5-year-old to be punched like that," the detective noted.

Two juvenile siblings of the 5-year-old's who live in the home also spoke to detectives, but gave multiple, inconsistent stories about what happened, according to the affidavit.

Pettus made his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Monday evening and was released on his own recognizance without objection from prosecutors. Pettus was ordered not to have any contact with any child under the age of 18, including his own children.

Prosecutors said if the autopsy results determine the 5-year-old's death was a homicide, they will return to court with a request for pre-trial detention.

According to court records, Sunday's arrest isn't the first time Pettus has faced domestic violence charges. He was previously arrested in May 2023 on assault and firearms charges in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident at the same address. The alleged victim in that case, a previous romantic partner of Pettus’, told police she and Pettus had gotten into an argument regarding his children which eventually escalated into him punching her in the mouth and threatening to shoot her.

The victim told police after the alleged assault she ran down the hallway from Pettus, who lifted his shirt to show the grip of a handgun and allegedly told her, “I’ve got that heat for you.” Pettus allegedly then pointed the gun at her.

Police arrived and determined the firearm, an HK 9mm handgun, was properly registered and briefly returned it to him, although Pettus later consented to surrender the gun as evidence. He was then placed under arrest and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to court records, Pettus rejected a plea offer from the government in November 2023. Prosecutors dismissed all charges against him in February. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said they couldn't comment about the decision to dismiss charges in that case.

Pettus was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing before D.C. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein on Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m.

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