Police charge man with JJ's murder

Two year-old JJ Ruhe Lawrence of Takitimu St, Orakei, died a violent death. Photo / Supplied

Almost a month after 2-year-old JJ was violently killed, police have charged a man with his murder.

James Joseph Ruhe Lawrence, known as JJ, died at an Orakei house after suffering severe injuries caused by blunt force trauma to his abdomen on November 14.

He was struck so hard in the stomach that one of his major internal organs split in half.

Emergency services were called about 11.15am, but JJ was already dead when they got there and a homicide investigation was started.

JJ lived at the Takitimu St house with his mother, Josephine Takutai Crystal Lawrence, 26, her partner and another couple with two infants. All six were home when he died.

Yesterday police charged a 29-year-old Mangere man, a former Orakei resident, with JJ's murder. The man will appear in the Auckland District Court today.

Last month, Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the four adults who were at the house when JJ died had given stories that conflicted with the findings of the post-mortem examination.

The Herald revealed Ms Lawrence was pregnant with her second child and Child Youth and Family was considering removing the new baby from her custody after its birth. CYFS also took the two infants who were living at the house into care.

Ms Lawrence moved into the house in Orakei with JJ in July. Before that the pair had been living in Tauranga.

Police turned to the public for help saying they wanted to speak with people who knew Ms Lawrence before she moved.

His father, James Robert Ruhe, was said to be "devastated" and "lost" when told of JJ's death.

Ruhe is in prison and did not seek compassionate leave to attend the toddler's tangi near Kaeo but the Department of Corrections allowed him to transfer to a prison closer to his family so they could support him.