Two-Year-Old Beaten to Death in NYC, Mother May Face Charges
NEW YORK (CBS/WCBS) A New York woman whose 2-year-old son was found unresponsive and covered in bruises Friday after she left him in the care of her live-in boyfriend may face murder charges for continually beating the boy with a belt, according to a report.
Police responded to a 911 call just after 10:00 p.m. Friday and when they arrived at the Brooklyn residence they discovered 2-year-old Aiyden Davis severely beaten and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The boyfriend, 31-year-old Reginald Williams, was arrested Saturday and charged with second-degree murder, while the toddler's mother, 27-year-old Teresa Foster, faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child, reports CBS affiliate WCBS.
The little boy was left in Williams' care while Foster went to work. Williams, who allegedly admitted to "punching the baby until his hands hurt" prior to Friday's incident, told a relative that he became irate when Aiyden had a hard time reciting the alphabet, reports the Post.
Foster told police that she beat her son every day for almost two weeks earlier this month when he behaved badly, but during her arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court Sunday prosecutors claimed she stopped abusing the boy Sept. 12, states the paper.
The medical examiner ruled Aiyden's death a homicide, citing blunt impact injuries to the head, torso and extremities as the cause of death. According to Assistant District Attorney Collen Babb, liver lacerations and internal bleeding were also found, which is consistent with being struck with a belt, reports the Post.
If further tests conclude that the belt beatings led to the toddler's death, Foster will also face murder charges, according to the Post.
Williams, who had an unresolved drug-related warrant, was being held without bail while Foster's bail was set at $150,000, according to the paper.
A spokesman for Administration for Children's Services says the agency is investigating the incident.
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