A 31-year-old North Carolina man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 5-year-old son. Jehaaz-Akil Khaliq Echoles was arrested Thursday after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend's apartment in Pineville.
Authorities responded to the Sabal Point Apartments shortly after midnight on Thursday following a report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers discovered the child with multiple stab wounds. Despite immediate medical efforts, the boy was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police stated that the ex-girlfriend reported Echoles kicked down the apartment door, entered their son's room, and closed the door. The mother heard a commotion, opened the bedroom door, and found the child unresponsive and bleeding from stab wounds to his head, neck, and arms. She then called 911.
The woman and another child present in the home were unharmed. Investigators have described the incident as domestic violence, not a random act, though the motive remains unclear. Echoles was apprehended by police at a nearby Taco Bell.
Echoles has a history of assault, including a conviction for assaulting a woman in October 2020. He is also facing charges in other assault cases, including one where he allegedly beat a woman with a belt and another where he reportedly threw keys at a woman after a dispute over her car. He is currently being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail, with his next court date scheduled for July 30.