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Beating leads to murder charge

Maurice Pearson, a New Jersey man arrested last Friday for allegedly severely beating a 3-year-old Altoona boy and his mother, was charged Thursday with first degree murder in the boy’s death, it was announced Thursday afternoon by Morris County, N.J., prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp.

The child, Ty’mil Andrew Solomon, was the son of Pearson’s girlfriend.

The mother, Nicole Reagan, was befriended by Pearson after her fiance, Willie Solomon, Ty’mil’s father, was shot and killed at a night club in Altoona 18 months ago.

Reagan has described Pearson as Willie Solomon’s best friend, and she developed a relationship with him in the months after Solomon’s death.

As it turned out, it was an abusive relationship, Reagan told the Mirror this week.

She told the Mirror she suffered frequent beatings at Pearson’s hands, and left him several times, but ultimately would return when he would apologize.

Last Friday afternoon, she said, Pearson “snapped” when her son wet himself while the three were eating lunch in a room at the Knight’s Inn in Montville Township, N.J., where they were staying while trying to find an apartment.

Pearson, 26, it is alleged, forced the tot into an ice cold shower and began beating him with a belt.

Reagan said she tried to intervene when she realized what was happening.

Pearson then pushed her into a wall but stopped beating the child as she continued to plead with him.

The boy was then forced to start eating again, at which point his eyes rolled back into his head and he became comatose.

Pearson gave police a bogus name when first confronted.

He was charged with aggravated assault and taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 bond.

On Monday morning, the boy was removed from life support, and the investigation continued.

According to a release from Denise H. Arseneault of the Morris County prosecutor’s office, Judge William J. McGovern III on Thursday authorized charges against Pearson for murder in the first degree, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

His bail was increased from $100,000 to $1 million.

He was also charged with hindering apprehension and with aggravated assault of Reagan.

“Oh my God,” Reagan said when informed of the murder charge against Pearson.

She said the murder charge will not bring back her boy, but she is pleased Pearson will face the ultimate charge in New Jersey.

She wants Pearson to face the death penalty, however, it was outlawed in 2007 by former Gov. John Corzine.

Reagan was glad Pearson will not be getting out of prison any time soon.

“He took my little boy’s life,” she cried.

She said she was disappointed by the original charges.

The prosecutor did not release the cause of death, but referred the Mirror to the Morris County Medical Examiner.

A spokesperson from the Medical Examiner’s Officer said the cause of death in ongoing criminal investigations is not made public.

The investigation is active and ongoing, according to the release by Arseneault.

While Pearson is a New Jersey native, he lived in Altoona, and, according to court records, has a child to an Altoona woman.

Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.

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