KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A 20-year-old man was found guilty of first-degree felony murder and first-degree child abuse, the Calhoun County prosecuting attorney said Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Henry Jones Jr., who was 18 years old at the time, was babysitting 18-month-old Dre’Quan Scott back in November 2020.
They say Dre’Quan’s mother went to work around 7 p.m.
Three hours later, Jones took the toddler to a relative’s house and left him without an explanation.
Prosecutors say the toddler was unresponsive and not breathing when Jones left.
First responders tried to perform CPR on the toddler, but they were not successful, and he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
An autopsy revealed Dre’Quan had a significant amount of trauma, including injuries to his head, chest, abdomen, pelvis and back, that were determined to be his cause of death.
Additionally, prosecutors say the toddler suffered several internal injuries, including to his liver and spleen, along with several broken ribs and brain injuries.
They say it took police more than a month to find and arrest Jones.
READ MORE: Man arrested, charged with murder after child’s death in Kalamazoo
The jury found Jones guilty after a four-day trial and just more than an hour of deliberation.
Jones is set to be sentenced on June 23.
