DA cautions moms after woman's boyfriend charged in son's murder

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A grand jury has indicted a man accused of killing his girlfriend's 18-month-old son. 

The case has the DeKalb County District Attorney warning parents to use better judgment when leaving their child in someone else's care.
 
Nicholas Wade, 27, faces several charges in connection with the Feb. 3 death of Keon Belk. Those charges include felony murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the first degree.
 
"It is a terrible, terrible tragedy," DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said. "It happened because of child abuse."
 
James said he has seen too many cases like Belk's where a child is left with someone who didn't treasure the child's life like a parent would.
 
"A large percentage of the cases where children are abused, it is often from mother's boyfriend or father's girlfriend," he said.
 
In Belk's case, police said Wade was dating Belk's mother and was babysitting him.
 
Wade called 911 after noticing Belk wasn't breathing well.
 
"The child went into cardiac arrest at the hospital and died soon thereafter," James said. 
 
Belk had a lacerated liver and a fractured skull.
 
Two days later, deputies searching for Wade found him in the parking lot of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Wade was shot after deputies said he pointed a gun at them.

Wade survived and now faces murder charges.
 
James said parents have to understand not everyone has the qualities required to be left alone with their child.
 
"Well just know who they are. Know them. You can't just date someone and trust that person to the care of your child," he said.
           
While Wade was indicted on charges connected to Keon's death, a separate grand jury could later hear the case surrounding the incident in which he was shot.

WSBTV