DC man, 76, arrested in death of 1-year-old nearly a year after tragic discovery
Washington, DC – Nearly a year after a 1-year-old boy was found unresponsive inside a Southeast Washington home, a 76-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the child’s death, police announced Friday.
The case dates back to the morning of Wednesday, March 12, when first responders were called to a residence on the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE for reports of an unconscious child. Officers arrived to find little Quamir Johnson, just 1 year old, unresponsive and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts at the scene, the child was pronounced dead.
After months of investigation, detectives determined that the actions of Lawrence Perryman, also of Southeast, directly contributed to the toddler’s death. On Thursday, Perryman was taken into custody by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force under a DC Superior Court warrant.
Perryman is now facing charges of First Degree Murder—Felony Murder and First Degree Cruelty to Children. Investigators confirmed the offense was domestic in nature but have not released further details about Perryman’s relationship to the child.
No further information about the circumstances surrounding the incident has been released. The case remains active.
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Key Points
- A 76-year-old Southeast DC man has been charged in the March 2025 death of a 1-year-old child
- The victim, Quamir Johnson, was found unresponsive at a Southeast residence and later died
- Police say the offense was domestic in nature and resulted in murder and child cruelty charges