A Chicago male has been charged with the murder of his 4-month-old baby girl, after an attack on his pregnant fiancé and 3-year-old son last year which also left the boy dead.
According to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office 22-year-old Devon Thomas, appeared in court this week on a first-degree murder charge for the death of Janylah Mack. In November he was also charged with murder and aggravated battery for the attack on his son, Tayveon Thomas, and Tayveon’s then-pregnant mother.
Thomas had punched Tayveon a number of times in front of the boy’s mother on Oct. 30, 2016, prosecutors mentioned at his first bond hearing. When the woman tried to stop him, he allegedly choked her until she lost consciousness.
The following day, at the couple’s apartment in the 12000 block of South Green Street, Thomas hit Tayveon several times in the chest and torso, prosecutors said. He went on to tramp on the boy’s legs, arms and body with his boots.
At that time, Tayveon’s Mom came into the room to give him medicine. When she saw that the boy was being beaten, she tried to intervene. Thomas then slapped her across the face, knocked her into the wall, and grabbed her by her ponytail.
Prosecutors said that Thomas ended up dragging her by her hair to the front room of the apartment, where they started arguing,. The woman eventually went back to check on Tayveon, where she saw him face down on the bed with his body against the wall.
She began chest compression and CPR, and called Thomas, who then called 911 and continued chest compression until paramedics arrived.
Tayveon was taken to the Roseland Community Hospital, where he died at 1:15 p.m. on that same day, according to the medical records and an autopsy found he died from multiple injuries resulting from child abuse. The death was ruled a homicide.
The woman then also began having chest pains and gave birth prematurely to Janylah a few hours after Tayveon had died.
Janylah passed away at 10:09 a.m. March 2, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found she died from complications of injuries which her mother suffered in an assault while pregnant. Her death has also ruled a homicide.
The deaths of Tayveon and Janylah are being investigated by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services according to spokeswoman, Veronica Resa. The Mother is also being investigated for neglect, in line with Tayveon’s death.
Another 1-year-old sibling was taken into DCFS care, after Tayveon’s death and remains in department custody, Resa said.
Thomas is still held without bond at the Cook County Jail, authorities said and is scheduled to appear in court April 10.