The 10-year-old boy found clubbed to death in his family’s apartment in Harlem was “a little angel” who never “made a beep,” neighbors told The Post on Sunday.
The child was found Saturday afternoon with “severe trauma” throughout his body at his home in the Saint Nicholas Homes, showing signs of both old and new injuries, including possible sexual abuse, police and police said.
“I will never be able to forget this,” an emotional agent who responded to the scene told The Post on Sunday. ‘That boy has been through a lot. It wasn’t the first time, and it didn’t just happen yesterday, ”said the officer.
The child’s stepfather told police that he had banged on the family’s front door around 2 p.m. and when he opened the door, he found the boy unresponsive and bumped into it, according to sources. The boy’s mother called 911 when his stepfather drenched him in cold water in an attempt to revive him, sources said.
The boy was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. No one has been charged in the case yet.
A relative of the victim told The Post during a vigil outside his building on Sunday afternoon that the boy was “super smart, super intelligent” and a “happy” kid who loved video games.
The family member, who identified herself only as Jennifer A., 42, said she was a cousin to the child’s 30-year-old mother and that [his mother]
“I’ve never seen a bruise or a scratch on him. It really hurts my heart, ”said Jennifer.
Neighbors in the building said the boy was well behaved.
“Not a beep,” said a neighbor when asked about the tragic young victim. “Boy never makes no noise. All you say is “stop,” and it freezes like a statue. A little angel.
“Kill my stomach,” said the woman, asking not to be identified.
“They belong in hell,” she added of whoever hurt the boy.
Another neighbor, Destiny Rogers, told The Post on Sunday, “Around noon yesterday I went out with my cousin and I heard a man, his voice was raised, he was yelling at someone,” referring to noise coming from the dead apartment of the boy.
“I could hear [the male voice] say, “Down!” and ‘Calm!’ I thought he was arguing with a partner.
“I grew up with things like that,” Rogers said. “I never thought …
“I wish I had stayed in the hall longer,” she added. ‘I would have brought it to 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 kid. I slept 2 1/2 hours last night. “
Neighbor Judynell Groce, a retired teacher, added: ‘He was kind of an introverted kid. If his mother were to talk to him, it was almost scary.
When the mother spoke to him, he clenched and fell silent. She would be a bit loud and use some blasphemy against him. I’ve never seen a husband or father with them. They’ve been here for almost three and a half years, ”said Groce.
“As a teacher at a city school, I have met a number of abused children for over 30 years. I listen to hear what is being said. No judgment. With today’s world, I am not surprised by this. “
The municipal medical examiner will perform an autopsy on Sunday.