Medical examiner rules toddler's suspicious death a homicide

MINNEAPOLIS — A 2-year-old’s death that authorities were investigating as “suspicious” has now been ruled a homicide.

A report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released Sunday identified the child as Ona’Je Jackson-Jones. The report said he died of “complications of multiple blunt force injuries.”

Minneapolis police responded to an apartment on the 2400 block of Oakland Avenue May 4 on a report of an unresponsive child. The boy was taken to the hospital, where he died. At the time, the Minneapolis Police Department said it was investigating the death as “suspicious.”

A 4-month-old sibling was also evaluated at the hospital.

The boys’ mother, Navonna West, was charged with two counts of malicious punishment of a child in May. Both of her sons had numerous bruises and other injuries, and the 4-month-old had possible burns, according to the criminal complaint.

In an interview with police, West tried to deny or minimize the boys’ injuries, saying that they were the result of illness, the complaint states.