GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro police have arrested a man they said killed his infant son in May 2021.
33-year-old Sterling Harrison Cummings was arrested for first-degree murder and felony child abuse for the death of this three-month-old son on Monday, May 22, 2023.
Court documents said Cummings was watching the infant while the mother left to get food on May 16, 2021. The child was reportedly healthy at the time.
When she returned 30 minutes later, according to court documents, she saw that the bottle she had prepared for her child was not given to him. Cummings told the mother that he hadn’t heard anything from the child.
She discovered the baby was not breathing, according to police.
A neighbor came and performed CPR on the child. She called 911 and Greensboro police and Guilford County EMS reportedly responded.
The child was taken to the hospital and was found to have retinal hemorrhaging and an abnormal MRI, court documents said. He died from his injuries.
Greensboro police said that Cummings "provided inconsistent statements to responding officers", raising suspicion about the scene.
As time went on, forensics processed the scene and police said the death was investigated as a homicide.
Cummings was arrested on May 22, 2023, and is held at the Guilford County Detention Center without bond, police said.
Cummings has a long list of charges throughout his life including marijuana, possession, and assault on a female.
Police were made aware of a similar incident with Cummings in Moore County in August 2012.
The biological child of Cummings was “shaken” in a Southern Pines home. Cummings was charged with Felony Child Abuse Inflicting Serious Injury, according to Southern Pines police.
The child survived the incident and was placed in foster care. However, court documents say that the child is now permanently blind, and has cerebral palsy.
"The child is very fortunate to be alive," said Southern Pines police.
Photos of Trepcyk's child
"He's very manipulative, he's a sociopath," said Tracy Trepcyk, the child's mother from the 2012 case.
Trepcyk and her husband adopted the child from the 2012 case.
They were in court Tuesday.
"I just felt I felt like we needed to be here to be an advocate for our son because I don't feel that justice was properly served. In this case, I don't wanna take away from what happened. I can't even imagine what they have to go through but you know what, I refuse, while I'm still alive, to not fight for Andy because someone has to," said Allan Trepcyk.
Guilford County Court said Cummings has been on their radar but they had to wait until the ultimate findings.
Cummings was appointed a capital defender.
If convicted on his first-degree murder charge, he could spend life without parole in prison or could face the death penalty.
If convicted on the child abuse charges he could face a maximum sentence of 490 months in prison which is about 40 years in prison.
Cummings is expected to be in court again on July 6.
The court confirmed that Cummings has three pending charges, assault on a female, against the child’s mother
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