A homeless man pleaded not guilty Monday in the death of his 3-month old son, whose body was discovered weeks after Los Angeles County social workers interviewed the father at a skid row mission and decided he could care for his child.
Mikeal Abdul Wah-hab Sr., 50, was charged March 27 with assault on a child, two months after a Times article highlighted the unsolved death along with efforts by Supervisor Gloria Molina to press detectives and prosecutors to resolve the case.
Prosecutors alleged that Wah-hab killed his son and left the body in a Monterey Park motel room in November 2005. County social workers had arranged for the father and son to stay at the motel, giving them a temporary housing voucher.
According to coroner's officials, the baby -- Mikeal III -- was killed by a blunt head injury, caused either by impact or shaking.
Though the child's death drew little public attention when it occurred, the case shook the county's social service agencies and led to sweeping changes in the way social workers deal with children on skid row.
"I think most of us are elated that he's been caught and charged," Molina said Monday of Wah-hab. "People who harm their children in this fashion should be held accountable."
Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley told Molina last year that homicide investigators had not determined who was responsible, because several people had access to the child before his death. But Sheriff's Det. Jeff Leslie said Monday that additional interviews conducted in recent months had confirmed that Wah-hab was the sole caretaker of his son when the infant died.
By filing assault charges, prosecutors said they do not have to prove Wah-hab intentionally killed his son, only that his actions led to the baby's death. The most serious assault charge carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Wah-hab, a California native, has spent long periods of his life behind bars for grand theft, drug possession for sale, burglary and robbery.
Deputy Alternate Public Defender Lee Ellis Rosen, who represented Wah-hab at his arraignment hearing, declined to comment.
The child's mother, Tanya Stepney, is in jail on an unrelated charge. Detectives said she is not a suspect in the death.
The infant's maternal aunt, Tracey Cradle, said she was overjoyed at news of the prosecution.
"I'm just so thankful that the baby can finally get some justice," she said.
