MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - A man charged in the murder of a 2-year-old boy in Manchester, New Hampshire, was ordered held without bail on Thursday after he waived he arraignment.
Mark Heath, 32, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the death of Jacob Pelletier. Heath received two counts because he acted recklessly and knowingly, according to police.
Heath was slated to appear Thursday afternoon in Manchester District Court, but officials confirmed that he waived his right to appear before a judge.
NH Assistant AG Susan Morrell won’t comment on specifics concerning a murdered toddler in Manchester. Jacob Pelletier died of “blunt force trauma to the abdomen, 32 year old Mark Heath is held without bail. He waived his arraignment hearing. pic.twitter.com/SgtE9qOeac
— Jonathan Hall (@JHall7news) December 14, 2017
Officers responded to 551 Howe St. around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a report of an unconscious toddler. The boy was taken to Elliot Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said an autopsy found that Jacob died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen. His death was ruled a homicide.
“A grown adult doing anything like that to a child, you can rot in hell. There’s no excuse for anything like that,” neighbor Eric Landry said.
The toddler lived with his mother along with Heath in a home on Howe Street. Neighbors said Heath was his mother’s boyfriend.
Police have not commented on a motive.
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