WIXOM, Mich. – A man was sentenced Monday to life in prison after being convicted of murder for the 2022 death of a 4-year-old boy in Wixom.
Deangelo Hawkins, 32, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, Dec. 18, for first-degree murder in connection with the March 2022 death of 4-year-old Jaice Dupont, his girlfriend’s son. Hawkins was said to have physically abused the child, causing severe injuries that killed the boy.
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On March 5, 2022, Hawkins reportedly called 911 and said Dupont was unconscious and having trouble breathing at an apartment in the area of Pontiac Trail and Beck Road. The child had suffered life-threatening injuries to the skull, and his breathing was shallow when police arrived, officials said then.
The boy was rushed to the hospital, and transferred to Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor due to the extent of his injuries. He ultimately died on March 10, 2022.
Hawkins was the only person at the apartment when police reached the scene. The child’s mother was reportedly at work at the time. Hawkins was arrested that day and charged with first-degree child abuse.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office added a first-degree murder charge after Dupont died from his injuries. The now-32-year-old man was found guilty by a jury on Nov. 17, and was sentenced to life in prison on Dec. 18.
At the time of his arrest, Hawkins was on probation after being convicted of assault with intent to do bodily harm. He had also previously been charged with several crimes spanning multiple cities, including criminal sexual conduct, domestic violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, adult kidnapping, and more.