An Essex man who was convicted of child abuse in the death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison, authorities say.
David Marvin Haas Jr., 31, was sentenced Monday for the first-degree abuse of a child under 13 and assault convictions. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted in July by a jury in Baltimore County Circuit Court.
Circuit Court Judge Keith Truffer imposed the sentence because of the “horrendous nature of the abuse in this case and the abuse of trust the child had placed in the adult caring for him at time,” according to State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger’s office.
Shellenberger thanked the judge “for imposing a completely appropriate sentence and my thoughts are with all the people who loved this little boy and to all who will never be able to know him,” he said in a statement.
The death of the boy, whose name was not released, was ruled a homicide by the state medical examiner’s office, which found blunt-force trauma injuries on his body, prosecutors said.
Haas called 911 just before 9 p.m. June 29, 2019, to report a cardiac arrest in the 900 block of Garden Drive in Essex. He was babysitting his girlfriend’s son when the toddler stopped breathing, according to police.
The boy was taken to MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The county police homicide unit was contacted because of his age and injuries.
The injuries the boy suffered were “significantly inconsistent” with the account of events Haas gave to police, prosecutors said. The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s office said Haas claimed that the child had drowned in a bathtub while he wasn’t looking.
The boy had been dead for “a period of time” before paramedics were called, according to law enforcement.
Haas’ public defender could not be reached for comment.
