A man accused of murdering a three-year-old child in Montville New Jersey recently pleaded not guilty to the very serious criminal charges.

According to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the 29-year-old suspect used a belt to savagely beat the young boy to death in what has been classified as a domestic violence incident. The brutal beatings allegedly occurred at a motel located in the Pine Brook area of Montville, New Jersey. Law enforcement said that the suspect came from Pennsylvania and was living in Montville so that he could be near his girlfriend, the boy’s mother.

On April 10, 2015, the day on which the suspect allegedly beat the child, the suspect dialed 911 and told police that the young boy was choking. When Montville police officers got to the motel, they saw that the child was suffering from significant physical injuries. Police officers also reportedly observed that the victim’s mother had bruises across her face and her body.

Investigators talked to the woman, who told police that both she and the child had been beaten by the suspect.

Meanwhile, the young victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey, where he was placed on life support. Tragically, just three days later, the child was removed from life support and died.

An autopsy was later conducted by the Morris County medical examiner and a forensic neuropathologist, with the medical examiners determining that the victim died due blunt force trauma.

Shortly after the victim died, the suspect was officially charged with murder. He had already been charged with a number of other crimes, including aggravated assault (on both the mother and the child), child endangerment, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and hindering apprehension.

Now the suspect will likely have to answer the charges in court after a Morris County grand jury issued an indictment against him on the criminal homicide charges.

Moreover, the grand jury voted in favor of two aggravating factors in the case, meaning that the suspect faces life imprisonment in NJ State Prison, with no chance of parole, if he is ultimately convicted.

Morris County prosecutors have said that they expect to offer the suspect a plea deal calling for him to serve 30 years in state prison.

At this time, the suspect is being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown on a massive bail amount of $1 million.

For more information about this case, read the DailyRecord.com article, “Montville Motel Tenant Arraigned on Toddler’s Murder.”