A mother and her boyfriend are accused of severely beating her 4-year-old son inside an Abington Township home. The boy later died from his injuries. NBC10’s Brandon Hudson speaks to the suspects’ neighbor.
A teenage mother and her boyfriend now face a first-degree murder charge in the January death of the woman's 4-year-old son, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office said Friday.
Lisa Smith, 19, and Keiff King, 26, both of Abington, allegedly beat Tahjir Smith to death Jan. 22, investigators said. The upgraded charge was announced following the completion of an autopsy that concluded the little boy died of "multiple blunt injuries, thermal injuries and shock," the DA's office said.
"This was a violent sustained beating," DA Kevin Steele said in a release. "The news of this boy's death has saddened and outraged many people. Two of our best prosecutors ... will prosecute the case and will strive for justice for the senseless killing of young Tahjir."
Lisa Smith's attorney, Carrie Allman, declined to comment on the case.
King's attorney, Jeremy Alva, said, "It's a stretch for the prosecutors to believe Mr. King had any intention of killing the young child."
Investigators initially concluded after the boy was found unresponsive in January that he was allegedly beaten earlier in the day by both suspects at their home in the 1800 block of Lukens Avenue in the Willow Grove section of Abington, according to the DA's office.
The boy was allegedly struck in the head and upper body repeatedly, the DA's office said. The beating was allegedly prompted by Tahjir spilling his cereal at breakfast, investigators said.
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Lisa Smith and King are being held without bail at Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 18.
