A 25-year-old man from Port Elizabeth made a brief appearance in the city's Magistrates Court on Monday in connection with the murder of a toddler and the alleged rape of his mother.
The toddler was dropped off at the Livingstone Hospital last week and died shortly after being admitted.
The accused, who allegedly took the child to hospital, ran away moments after hearing the news.
Janse van Rensburg says several leads were followed up, and later on Thursday, members patrolling in Gelvandale noticed a man holding a crying woman.
While interviewing the woman, who was the mother of the boy, she informed the police that while she was on her way to the hospital, her boyfriend allegedly raped her in the bushes.
The suspect was arrested and the inquest docket was changed to one of murder.
Janse van Rensburg says an autopsy was completed on Monday and it was established that the child died from blunt force trauma to his head and body.
The murder case against the accused was postponed until Tuesday.
The case of the alleged rape of the toddler's mother was postponed to the 19th of September.
The suspect, who is from Gelvandale, remains in custody.
