West Virginia Man Accused Of Using Hammer To Fatally Beat 7-Year-Old Boy
BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man has been accused of using a hammer to fatally beat a 7-year-old boy, police said.
Rashad Akeem Thompson, 34, was charged with killing the child and stabbing a woman early Thursday at an apartment in Beckley, Beckley police said in a statement.
WCHS-TV, citing a criminal complaint, reported the woman was the boy's 24-year-old mother and that Thompson was her boyfriend. Thompson was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, malicious wounding and two counts of domestic battery.
The woman was in critical condition at a hospital, the statement said. Thompson was held at the Southern Regional Jail pending arraignment. It's unclear whether he had an attorney who would comment on his behalf.
The complaint said a neighbor was awakened by the mother knocking on her door. The mother asked the woman to go to her apartment to get her two children. The woman was able to bring back the mother's 2-year-old child.
The incident remains under investigation.
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