Palmdale father charged with murder for 3-week-old infant's death
The Los Angeles County District Attorney filed murder charges on Wednesday against the Palmdale man accused of killing his 3-week-old son.
"We offer our deepest condolences to the family of this innocent child and extend our support in the face of such senseless violence," District Attorney George Gascón said. "Child abuse has no place in our society and such acts of violence are beyond the pale. Children are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and every child is entitled to safety and protection as a human right."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the child, named Baki, was last seen with his father, 24-year-old Yusuf Dewees. The Ogden Police Department arrest Dewees and the child's mother in Utah on unrelated charges.
The District Attorney claimed Dewees allegedly murdered his child on May 2 or May 3. Deputies launched an exhaustive search of the local landfill, but investigators never found Baki's remains.
Despite this, prosecutors charged Dewees with
- One count of murder
- One count of assault on a child causing death
- One count of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death
If convicted as charged, a maximum sentence of life in state prison.
The child's great-grandmother said the baby was recently living at her daughter's home in Palmdale, the child's grandmother, along with two of his three siblings.
Prosecutors recommended Dewees be held in lieu of a $2 million bail.