A man from North Carolina is facing serious charges after allegedly kicking in the door of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and stabbing her 5-year-old son before making his way to a Taco Bell.
The Pineville Police Department announced yesterday that 31-year-old Jehaz Akil Khaliq Echols has been charged with first-degree murder.
Officers were called to the Sabal Point Apartments shortly after midnight Thursday due to a report of an assault involving a deadly weapon.
Upon arrival, they discovered the child with multiple stab wounds.
Emergency medical treatment was initiated right away, and the child was rushed to the hospital in a police vehicle.
Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to an arrest affidavit, the child’s mother, who is also Echols’ ex-girlfriend, reported that he entered her apartment, walked into her son’s room, and closed the door behind him, as detailed by WGHP.
When she heard the noise, she went to check on them and opened the door, only to see Echols fleeing.
She found her son bleeding and unresponsive, suffering from stab wounds to his head, neck, and arms, and immediately called for help.
Fortunately, she and another child in the home were not harmed.
Police later located Echols at a nearby Taco Bell and placed him under arrest.
Authorities have stated that this was a domestic incident and not a random act of violence, although the motive remains unclear.
Echols does have a criminal history involving assault charges.
This includes a conviction in 2020 for assaulting a woman and several ongoing lawsuits related to other assault incidents.
This year alone, he has faced two charges for assaulting women. In one case, he reportedly struck a woman with a belt; in another, he threw keys at a woman who had rented a car and refused to return it.
Echols is currently being held at Mecklenburg County Jail without bail, with a court appearance set for July 30th.
