MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) — A somber Tuesday afternoon in Merced as loved ones remembered an infant boy whose life was taken just four months after it began.
“He was a happy baby. He was so cute. We were so happy to have him,” Lakisha Carmon, Devonte’s great-godmother, said.
Family members describe Devonte as the light of their lives.
“We hadn’t had a baby around in a while, so this was like a blessing,” Carmon said.
Atwater Police say the 4-month-old was found dead in an apartment the morning of January 23.
Court documents state preliminary findings from an autopsy included bleeding to Devonte’s head and injuries in and out of his mouth, but his official cause of death has not been determined.
In the weeks following the tragedy, Devonte’s father, 20-year-old Maleek McIntyre and mother, 19-year-old Jasmine Polk, were arrested and jailed, facing child abuse and murder charges.
McIntyre has not yet entered a plea to the charges, while Polk has pleaded not guilty.
“She is not a baby killer. She has mental issues that are documented,” Carmon said.
The infant’s parents remained behind bars as family and friends gathered at Second Baptist church to mourn and remember baby Devonte.
“It’s really difficult because to know that she is in jail and to know that she can’t be here for the homegoing of her child that she had for four months,” Carmon stated.
Atwater Police say the whole situation has been incredibly tragic and want anyone struggling with the stress of parenting to reach out for help.
Both Polk and McIntyre are scheduled to be back in court next Monday.
By ABC30’s Tiffany Olin.
