UPDATE: Elijah Holmes Jr., 21 of Lexington Park, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for Assault Second Degree and Child Abuse 2nd Degree, by Maryland Circuit Court Judge David Densford .
The three-year-old victim is scheduled for brain surgery next month, is relearning how to walk, talk, and eat.
2/16/2017: On February 10, 2017, Detective M. Hulse of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Charles Regional Medical Center located in La Plata, Maryland for the report of child abuse.
The investigation revealed a three-year-old juvenile victim received serious injuries while in the care and custody of Elijah Holmes Jr, 21, of Lexington Park. Due to the severity of the victim’s injuries, he was transported to another hospital for further medical treatment.
The initial account of events provided by Holmes on how the victim received the injuries was not consistent with medical reports. Subsequently, an additional interview was conducted. At that time, Holmes admitted to shaking the victim out of anger until he became lifeless.
Holmes was transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center on February 15, 2017, where he was charged with the following:
- Child Abuse 2nd Degree-Custodian
- Assault Second Degree
Additional charges may be forthcoming pending a review with the State’s Attorney.
Holmes is currently being held at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center on a no bond status.