Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Montville Township Police Chief Rudolf Appelmann announce that Maurice Pearson,26, of Pine Brook, and formerly of Altoona, Pennsylvania, has been charged with first degree murder for the beating death of his girlfriend’s three year old son. Additional charges filed today consist of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon were also authorized.
On April 10, at approximately 1:16 p.m., officers with the Fairfield Township Police Department responded to the Knights Inn, located at 55A Route 46 in Pine Brook (Montville Township) on a report of a male choking.
As a result of the investigation into this incident, Maurice Pearson was originally charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, both second degree crimes, for physically abusing the three year old child.
Pearson was also charged with one count of aggravated assault, a third degree crime, for physically assaulting his girlfriend (age 25).
Pearson was also charged with an additional count of hindering his own apprehension, a crime of the third degree, for providing false information to law enforcement during the course of this investigation.
Pearson was remanded to the Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of a $100,000 bail.
At the time of the assault, the child and his mother were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The child’s mother was treated and released.
However, the child sustained more serious injuries as a result of the assault and remained hospitalized until succumbing to his injuries on April 13.