Northwest DC Father Indicted for First-Degree Murder of 5-Year-Old Son

Deandre Pettus Sr. has been indicted on a first-degree felony murder charge following the death of his 5-year-old son, Deandre Pettus Jr., who was found unconscious in their Northwest D.C. apartment in October 2024 and later pronounced dead at the scene. Initially charged with First Degree Cruelty to Children, the indictment alleges that Pettus Sr. tortured and drowned his son. Despite the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruling the cause of death as undetermined, a grand jury's findings led to the more severe murder charge. Court documents reveal prior incidents of abuse, including assault charges against Pettus Sr. and the temporary removal and supervised return of the children by D.C. Child and Family Services. Witness accounts describe repeated physical abuse and unsanitary living conditions in the apartment. Pettus Sr. was arraigned in July 2025 and remains free on personal recognizance with orders to stay away from his children and the woman he allegedly assaulted.