The 10-year-old boy found beaten to death in his family’s Harlem apartment was “a little angel” who never took a “peek,” neighbors told the Post on Sunday.
The child was found with “severe trauma” throughout his body at his home in Casas de São Nicolau on Saturday afternoon, with signs of new and old injuries, including possible sexual abuse, police and police sources said.
“I will never be able to forget that,” said an emotional policeman who responded to The Post on Sunday. “That boy has been through a lot. It wasn’t the first time and it didn’t happen yesterday, ”said the policeman.
The child’s stepfather told police that he heard a knock on the family’s door at around 2 pm and, when he opened it, found the boy unanswered and sitting leaning against it, according to sources. The boy’s mother called 911 when his stepfather dipped him in cold water in an attempt to revive him, the sources said.
The boy was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. No one has yet been charged in the case.
A relative of the victim told the Post during a vigil outside his building on Sunday afternoon that the boy was “superintelligent, superintelligent” and a “happy” child who loved video games.
The relative, who identified herself only as Jennifer A., 42, said she was a cousin to the mother of the 30-year-old child and “that boy was everything to [his mother].
“I never saw a bruise or a scratch on it. It really hurts my heart, ”said Jennifer.
The building’s neighbors said the boy was well-behaved.
“Not a peep,” said a neighbor when asked about the tragic young victim. “The boy never makes a noise. All you say is ‘stop’ and it freezes like a statue. An angel.
“It makes my stomach turn,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
“They belong to hell,” she added of who hurt the boy.
Another neighbor, Destiny Rogers, told The Post on Sunday: “Yesterday, around noon, I was going out with my nephew and I heard a man, his voice was high, he was shouting at someone,” referring to noise coming from the dead boy’s apartment.
“I could hear [the male voice] say, ‘Down!’ is calm!’ I thought he was arguing with a partner.
“I grew up listening to things like that,” said Rogers. “I never thought …
“I wish I could have stayed in the corridor longer,” she added. “I would have caught my father’s attention. He would have knocked on the door.
“It hurts,” Rogers said of the tragedy. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe what happened to that boy. I slept 2 and a half hours last night.”
Neighboring teacher Judynell Groce added: “He was an introverted child. When his mother spoke to him, it was almost scary.
“When the mother spoke to him, he would contract and be quiet. She would be a little loud and use some bad words with him. I never saw a man or a father with them. They have been here for almost 3 ½ years, ”said Groce.
“As a teacher at a municipal school for over 30 years, I met some abused children. I listen to hear what is being said. Without judgment. With today’s world, I am not surprised by this. “
The city coroner is due to perform an autopsy on Sunday.