BROOKLYN, NY – A 29-year-old man in Brooklyn has been charged with murder after a disturbing discovery was made. His neighbor, a 3-year-old boy, was found dead in the man’s bathtub. According to authorities, Kevin James, the stepson of a local babysitter, was arrested after police found the toddler, Denim Brown, “unconscious and unresponsive” in his apartment.
The incident happened at around 9:45 a.m., when police arrived at an East Flatbush apartment following a 911 call. The boy’s mother, Shamanda Brown, had left her son with James’ 54-year-old stepfather, who lived in another apartment, said law enforcement sources.
Emergency medical services rushed the child to NYC Health and Hospitals/Kings County Hospital, but little Denim did not survive. Currently, James is facing charges of murder, assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.
While the official cause of death has yet to be confirmed, police told the New York Post that the young boy had serious head injuries.
Friends and neighbors created a makeshift memorial in the building’s lobby filled with pictures, candles, blue balloons, a football, and teddy bears. Many expressed their grief and shock over the sudden demise of the toddler, who was often seen with his mother in the building.
According to a man and woman familiar with the family, the Browns were originally from Jamaica. They said the victim’s mother lived with her stepfather, sister, and a brother, after her own mother died during childbirth six years ago. The duo also revealed that James, the youngest of three sons living with the babysitter, was known mostly for sitting on the steps and smoking weed.
The ongoing investigation is aimed to reveal the circumstances surrounding Denim’s death.