Mom's Boyfriend Charged In 2-Year-Old's Beating Death

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ODENTON, MD — The boyfriend of a two-year-old boy’s mother has been charged with the child’s murder in a Fort Meade motel room, authorities say.

Dason Darius Hogan, 22, of no fixed address was charged Friday with multiple counts of child abuse and murder in the death of Michael Lee-Ashley Stem. The child’s mother, three other children and Hogan had been staying at the Royal Inn, 1630 Annapolis Road, Odenton.

Just before noon Monday, Anne Arundel County Police and Fire Department personnel were called to the motel on a report of a possible cardiac incident involving the two-year-old boy.

Firefighters took Michael to Baltimore Washington Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the child Tuesday, and ruled the cause of Michael’s death as blunt force trauma with the manner being homicide.

Detectives say Hogan gave contradictory statements about what happened that morning when he was watching Michael while the toddler’s mother was at work. Video surveillance reportedly showed Hogan walk three children to the bus stop and return shortly thereafter with Michael in good health. No one else was seen entering or exiting the hotel room until Michael’s mother was called about his injuries.

On Thursday, detectives secured an arrest warrant charging Hogan with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, child abuse first-degree death, first-degree assault and second-degree assault in the toddler’s death.

Hogan was taken into custody Friday at the Royal Inn.

This is the first Anne Arundel County homicide of 2016.

Anne Arundel County Police ask anyone with information to call 410-222-4731. If people with information wish to remain anonymous they can contact the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700.

»Photo of Dason Hogan, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police