Mother of Detroit man accused of beating father to death says he’s autistic

A judge continued the $500,000 bond for a 23-year-old man accused of beating his father to death last weekend at their east Detroit home, court records said.

Le Mar Manassa Jr. was charged Tuesday in 36th District Court with manslaughter, according to records and Detroit police.

A bond re-determination hearing was held Thursday.

The defendant is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday for a probable cause conference.

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Court records said Manassa is represented by the Neighborhood Defender Service in Detroit. The judge appointed an attorney to represent the defendant during the bond re-determination hearing, according to the records.

On Friday, Percilla Poole, Manassa’s mother, told The Detroit News she doesn’t know who her son’s lawyer is at the moment. Poole said she is looking to get an attorney for him and has not been able to speak to her son since he was arrested.

She also said her son is autistic and the incident in which he is accused is shocking.

“It’s unbelievable,” Poole, 53, said in a telephone interview. “It’s hard to go through. I can’t sleep at night, and I can barely eat. This whole thing is very hard on my family and me. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

On Tuesday, Detroit police said officers were dispatched at about 7:24 p.m. Saturday to a home in the 5700 block of University Place near Chandler Park Drive and Cadiuex Road.

They entered the home and found Le Mar Manassa Sr., 53, wounded in the kitchen, authorities said.

Medics arrived and pronounced him dead.

According to a preliminary investigation, Manassa and his son had an argument that escalated to a fight. Detectives said the younger man punched his father multiple times in the head.

Poole said she wasn’t at home when the incident happened and nothing like this has ever unfolded with her son before.

“He’s not a violent person,” she said. “He’s very quiet, and he keeps to himself. He’s never showed any signs that something like this could happen.”

She said her son loves football and doesn’t talk much.

“He’s 23 years old, but he has the mindset of a 9-year-old,” she said. “He still plays with action figures.”

Poole told police officers her son was autistic the night he was arrested. She said Friday that her son, who was born prematurely, had been in special education programs since pre-school.

“He’s been like this since he was born,” Poole said.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

@CharlesERamirez