Man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Cahokia Heights child
A 21-year-old East St. Louis man has been charged with first-degree murder in the May 4 death of a Cahokia Heights child.
Dangelo E. Smith of Alexander Place was being held Tuesday in the St. Clair County Jail. Bail is $1 million. He was charged Sunday, authorities said.
The victim’s name is Legacy Jones, who was 4 ½ years old. St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. said Jones was pronounced dead at 8:50 a.m. on May 4.
Francella Jackson, director of operations and public information officer for Cahokia Heights Police Department, said police received a call reporting a child in respiratory distress at a home on Hinckley Street. “The female child … was taken to Touchette Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead,”Jackson said.
Cahokia Heights police requested assistance from the St. Clair County Child Death Investigative Task Force.
“An autopsy revealed the child sustained multiple internal injuries,” Jackson said.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Smith, a person associated with the child’s mother, was found to be responsible for the child’s death, Jackson said.
Cahokia Heights police did release a motive.
Smith was also charged with aggravated battery in connection with the child’s death.
According to the charging document issued by St. Clair County State’s Attorney Jim Gomric’s office, Smith killed the child May 4 by inflicting “abdominal trauma to the child, knowing such acts created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm.”
The aggravated battery charge alleges that Smith, an adult, “inflicted bone fractures about the body of a female child who was born in December 2018.”
The charging document shows Smith is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 6:32 PM.
