By: Richard L. Smith
A tragic and deeply disturbing investigation is unfolding in Essex County after a 7-year-old boy originally from Garysburg, North Carolina, was beaten to death inside a Bradley Court apartment in Newark’s West Ward.
The incident is believed to have occurred just before midnight on Saturday in Building 56 of the Bradley Court housing complex.
RLS Media learned that the boy, identified by family as Isaiah Jones Jr., was brought to University Hospital unconscious and unresponsive.
Medical personnel noticed clear signs of blunt force trauma, and the child appeared to have suffered a broken neck. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Arrest Made After Child Dies from Apparent Beating
Police were notified by hospital staff and arrived to find an acquaintance of the child being held at the scene for questioning.
That person, later identified as Ms. Shalonda Lemons, was initially charged with child endangerment. On Wednesday, her charges were upgraded to murder.
RLS Media has confirmed Lemons is the mother of Isaiah’s father’s girlfriend. The beating was witnessed by Isaiah’s 4-year-old brother, who family members say was also attacked but not severely.
Both children were allegedly whipped with an unknown object during the ordeal.
Visit Turns Deadly After Alleged Drug-Fueled Rage
According to preliminary findings, Isaiah’s mother had driven him from North Carolina to visit his father in Irvington Township. The father then brought the boy to Lemons’ apartment in Newark.
Sometime during the night, someone inside the home informed the father that Isaiah had been injured. He rushed the unconscious boy to University Hospital, where medical staff tried to save his life, but could not.
Family members believe Lemons may have been high on an unknown drug at the time of the attack. In addition to the murder charge, Lemons is now facing multiple offenses from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office:
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Abuse/Neglect)
- Murder – Knowingly (2C:11-3A(2))
- Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (2C:35-10A(1))
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Use (2C:36-2)
Community Demands Answers Over School Enrollment Failures
Isaiah had reportedly been living in Newark’s Upper West Ward for at least six months prior to his death but had never been enrolled in school.
Family members told RLS Media they attempted to register him at George Washington Carver Elementary but were allegedly denied for unclear reasons.
The violent assault of Isaiah Jones Jr. has sparked outrage among local community leaders, who are demanding answers about why the child was not connected to educational or support systems in the city. 
His death now raises troubling questions about missed opportunities to protect a vulnerable child before it was too late.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.