Bond set at $1M for parents, relative accused of killing Cleveland baby boy

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A judge in the Cleveland Municipal Court on Saturday set bond for the trio accused of killing an infant on Independence Day after charging all of them with first-degree murder.

27-day-old Deondre D. Hairston died at MetroHealth Medical Center on the Fourth of July.

Cleveland Police officials ruled Deondre’s death as a homicide on July 5 after he suffered injuries of blunt force trauma.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said the infant “had marks on his neck that appeared to be fingernails, bruising on his neck, a black eye and abrasions.”

The infant’s parents, 21-year-old Diamond Caldwell and 22-year-old Deondre Hairston, along with 18-year-old Michael Berry, Hairston’s cousin, each received a $1 million bond.

The public defender for Caldwell, Stephanie McNeal, said the document was “defective”.

“There are no specific elements laid out in this charging document stating that Ms. Caldwell is the one who actually caused the death of her child,” McNeal told the judge.

“Diamond Caldwell claims that she was the only one with the child overnight, so I take that. $1 million dollar bond, thank you,” said the judge.

Their next court hearing is set for July 18.

Family members of Caldwell held a vigil for the baby Saturday night.

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.

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