Jaycee Eubanks: 4-year-old Brooklyn boy's death ruled homicide, stepdad charged
The death of 4-year-old Jaycee Eubanks in his Brooklyn home over the weekend was ruled a homicide by the authorities on Wednesday, September 15 morning. According to reports, Eubanks' stepdad, Jerimiah Johnson has been charged with his murder. The city Medical Examiner’s Office noted that Jaycee Eubanks died of battered child syndrome with recent blunt trauma to the torso.
The child’s mother waved down police in front of her home on Baltic Street in Gowanus around 5 AM, Sunday, September 12, police said. After officers attempted CPR on the child, he was rushed to Brooklyn Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly. A similar incident was reported on September 1 when an ex-Michigan corrections officer, Derek Thebo, 32, allegedly shot his 3-year-old son before killing himself. In May last year, Laurent F, 55, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his two children as he wanted to get revenge on their mother.
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According to reports, around the same time, someone called 911 and stated that a man attempted to kill himself at the same address. Officers who responded to the 911 call found that it was Jaycee Eubanks' stepfather Jerimiah Johnson, 27, who was later taken into custody. Cops confirmed Wednesday, September 15 morning that Johnson was charged with murder and acting in a manner injurious to a child. He was being held at NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn as an emotionally disturbed person. An NYPD spokesman noted that Jerimiah Johnson, who was charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17, was in a relationship with the 4-year-old boy’s mother. Jaycee's 6-year-old brother, who was taken to the hospital for observation, told neighbors that he and his younger sibling were attacked by their stepdad, reports cited.
An insider reportedly claimed that the NYPD was alerted to possible abuse of the boy just weeks before he died but they failed to do a thorough enough investigation. According to reports, Jaycee and his 6-year-old brother were interviewed by the workers from the non-profit Safe Horizons with Special Victims Division officers present, but the cops wrote off the complaint without following protocols. An NYPD spokesperson claimed the cops did make a referral for a medical exam but failed to comment if one was actually done.
A spokeswoman for New York City Administration for Children’s Services declined to comment on the case. "Our top priority is protecting the safety and wellbeing of all children in New York City. We are investigating this case with NYPD and we have taken action to secure the safety of the other child in the home, " the spokeswoman said.