Georgia teen is found guilty in baby-stroller murder

MARIETTA, Ga. — An 18-year-old man was convicted Friday of murder in the shooting of a baby who was riding in a stroller in a town in a coastal Georgia town.

Jurors deliberated about two hours before finding De’Marquise Elkins guilty in the March 21 killing of 13-month-old Antonio Santiago in Brunswick. The man’s mother, Karimah Elkins, was also tried and and was found guilty of tampering with evidence but acquitted of lying to police.

De’Marquise Elkins’ attorney asked for bond for his client while they appealed the verdict, but the judge denied that request.

Prosecutors said Elkins killed Antonio in an attempted robbery. The baby’s mother, Sherry West, also was shot.

A 15-year-old is also charged with murder in the case and is set to be tried later.

Sherry West testified during the two-week trial that she was walking home from the post office with her son in a stroller the morning of March 21. She said a gunman demanding her purse shot her baby in the face after she told him she had no money.

Prosecutors said De’Marquise Elkins and the 15-year-old stopped West and that Elkins pointed a .22-caliber revolver at West and demanded money. When West refused several times to give the men money, Elkins fired a warning shot and then shot West in the leg and shot the baby between the eyes, prosecutors said.

The killing in the port city of Brunswick drew national attention, and the trial was moved to the Atlanta suburb of Marietta because of the extensive local publicity.

Prosecutors have said information from Elkins’ mother and sister led investigators to a pond where they found the revolver.

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