A 27-year-old father in Texas, Demari Alston, is facing charges for allegedly killing his 2-month-old son, Zayn Alston, after reportedly beating the infant to death and claiming the boy was hospitalized due to an “allergic reaction.” Alston was arrested last week and charged with one count of capital murder of a victim under 10 years of age, in connection with the tragic death of his son.
Zayn’s mother, 22-year-old Trinity Nyomi Perez, was also arrested on one count of injury to a child resulting in serious bodily injury. Court records reveal that Zayn had been severely injured when he was just 10 days old. At that time, he was placed in the care of his maternal grandmother, with both parents prohibited from being alone with the child or spending the night with him.
The investigation into Zayn’s death began after Houston police responded to Memorial Hermann Hospital on the evening of September 9, 2024, regarding an infant in critical care. Zayn had suffered a skull fracture, brain bleed, and retinal hemorrhaging, injuries that raised concerns of physical abuse. Zayn passed away on September 11, 2024.
Both parents voluntarily provided statements to the police. Perez told investigators that while she and Alston were prohibited from staying the night with the baby, they frequently visited the grandmother’s apartment early in the morning and stayed until the evening, as per reports from Law and Crime.
On the afternoon of September 8, Perez claimed that she was in the living room while Alston was alone with Zayn in the bedroom. Alston allegedly said that he “tripped” on his shoe while holding the baby, but insisted that Zayn was “fine.” The grandmother was in another room at the time. Despite Zayn being hospitalized shortly after, Perez denied that Alston would harm their child.
When questioned about Zayn’s previous injuries, Perez gave a vague response and suggested that another child may have been responsible. The next morning, Alston allegedly attempted to explain Zayn’s condition as an allergic reaction. “Alston said he is the last person to see [Zayn] alive,” according to the affidavit.
“When asked why his son was brought to the hospital last night, Mr. Alston said, ‘This s— is crazy. I am not going to lie.’ Mr. Alston said [Zayn] may be having an allergic reaction, causing everything to swell, because [Zayn] had never had problems breathing.”
Alston continued to claim that he tripped while holding Zayn, but forensic evidence from Alston’s phone revealed troubling searches and text messages. One day after his police interview, Alston allegedly searched “how to pass a lie detector test” and deleted it.
Text messages between the couple from August 15, 2024, revealed further concerns about Zayn’s injuries. Perez accused Alston of being “too rough” with their son, and Alston admitted, “I know I am rough.” In another exchange, Perez forwarded a photo of a bite mark on Zayn’s cheek to Alston. He blamed the marks on an allergic reaction to tobacco.
Alston is currently being held at the Harris County Detention Center on a $2 million bond. His next court appearance is yet to be scheduled.