'He was my mini-me'; Detroit Father crestfallen after son's death from alleged abuse
Mother, boyfriend arraigned in horrific child abuse case
The mother of a 7-year-old and her boyfriend were arraigned in Wayne County court on Wednesday in a horrific case of abuse that left the Detroit child dead. Both were denied bond and face up to life in prison if convicted on charges of felony murder, torture, and first-degree child abuse.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Warning: This story contains details of a graphic nature.
Seven-year-old Deshawn was a stand-up guy, his dad said.
"He was my mini-me," he said through tears.
Delanso Tucker had seen his 7-year-old son not too long ago. Now, he's unsure how to react after learning of his son's tragic death after he was horrifically abused, prosecutors say.
Alisha Hollamon, 23 and Deshawn's mom, and her boyfriend Avionics Traylor, 21, were both arraigned on charges of first-degree child abuse, torture, and felony murder Wednesday. The assistant Wayne County prosecutor said the cause of the child's death was blunt force trauma to the head and pelvis.
"The injuries that caused his death were within a day. However, his body shows marks and scars from prolonged abuse," said Tina Ripley, of the prosecutor's office.
Police were originally dispatched to the 3700 block of Hurlbut Street in Detroit on Oct. 22 for reports of child abuse. When they arrived, the found the victim with apparent scars and abrasions before being taken to the hospital.
He was pronounced deceased after arriving.
Ripley also said Deshawn's pelvis had been separated in two. His body had scratches, scrapes, and bruises all over. There's also evidence that Deshawn was abused after his death.
Tucker said it was hard to believe that Hollamon could commit such atrocities.
"Not in my eyes, I mean, she was never that type of person in my eyes. I never got to spend that much time with Alisha and talk to her," he said.
"I can’t see anybody doing this to a kid," said Rosalind Johnson-Bolton, Deshawn's grandmother.
Johnson-Bolton said Deshawn was a happy kid and never showed any signs of being abused. She said it's possible that someone had threatened him to not say anything, but he never let on that anything was wrong.
Hollamon, and Traylor, both face up to life in prison if convicted.
They were denied bond during Wednesday's hearing and have a preliminary exam scheduled for Nov. 15.
A gofundme has been created for Deshawn to raise money for his funeral.