Police said the child was found critically injured inside his bedroom after his father allegedly forced his way into the apartment.
PINEVILLE, N.C. — A 31-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder after police said his 5-year-old son was fatally attacked inside a Pineville apartment early Thursday.
Jehaaz-Akil Khaliq Echoles was arrested shortly after the July 9 attack at the Sabal Point Apartments on Sabal Park Drive, according to police and court records. Officers found the boy critically injured after receiving what Pineville Police Chief Corey Copley described as a frantic 911 call from the child’s mother. The child was taken to a hospital in a police vehicle but did not survive.
An arrest affidavit alleges that Echoles forced open the apartment’s front door, entered his son’s bedroom and closed the door behind him. The boy’s mother told investigators that she heard a commotion from the room and opened the bedroom door. Echoles then ran from the apartment, according to the document.
The mother found her son bleeding and unresponsive and called 911, the affidavit said. Police officers arrived in less than a minute and immediately began emergency treatment. Rather than wait for an ambulance, officers placed the child in a patrol vehicle and drove him directly to a hospital, Copley said.
Authorities have not publicly identified the boy. Police said another child was inside the apartment during the attack but was not physically injured. The mother also was not hurt and has cooperated with investigators.
Police have not announced a possible motive. Copley said investigators believe the killing arose from a domestic situation and was not a random attack. Authorities have not released complete medical findings or identified the precise object allegedly used in the assault.
Investigators located Echoles at a nearby Taco Bell after he left the apartment, police said. He was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. Court records cited in local reports said Echoles requested an attorney and declined to speak with investigators.
Copley said officers had responded to an earlier incident involving the family during 2026, although police did not immediately disclose details of that call. Local court records also show previous assault-related cases involving Echoles. Those earlier matters do not establish guilt in the new murder case.
The killing has affected officers, emergency workers and residents in Pineville, where police officials said homicides are uncommon. The department has made support resources available to first responders and others affected by the child’s death.
The first-degree murder case remains pending in Mecklenburg County. Echoles is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and police said the investigation is continuing as detectives review evidence and determine what led to the attack.
Author note: Last updated July 12, 2026.