MESA — A 23-year-old professional boxer is facing first-degree murder and child-abuse charges after Mesa police say he fatally assaulted his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son and also abused his own 1-year-old child.
Kishawn Porter was arrested Tuesday after paramedics responded just after 4 a.m. to an apartment near Brown Road and Country Club Drive. The toddler was rushed to a hospital and died from his injuries. Doctors flagged suspicious bruising and contacted police, launching a homicide investigation.
At Porter’s initial appearance, a Maricopa County prosecutor said he “hit and punched the 2-year-old victim multiple times with either his hands and/or a sandal.” An autopsy by the county medical examiner described catastrophic trauma — healing and acute rib fractures, a lacerated liver and stomach, torn intestinal vessels and a transected pancreas — injuries the examiner said were consistent with abuse, not a fall.
Investigators also alleged Porter spanked, struck and slapped his own 1-year-old; formal charges tied to that child had not yet been filed with prosecutors at the time of reporting. A judge set bond at $1.5 million cash-only. Two combat-sports promotions said they had cut ties with Porter after the arrest.
Prosecutors also referenced a violent juvenile history in court. The case remains in Maricopa County Superior Court, where Porter is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.