By Courtney Dentch
A southeast Queens man was arrested Sunday for allegedly beating his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son, leaving him in a coma, then blaming the injuries on the boy, police said. The boy died Tuesday.
Jean Henry, 21, of 146-46 183rd St., Springfield Gardens, was arrested Sunday on charges that he beat the boy at the Brooklyn apartment where the boy lives with his mother, police said. The boy suffered severe head trauma, and died Tuesday at Kings County Hospital, police said.
Henry was arrainged Monday on charges of felony assault, reckless endangerment, and endangering the welfare of a child, a spokesman for the Kings County district attorney said. His charges had not been upgraded as of Wednesday, but a spokesman for the district attorney said he may be rearraigned on new charges when he returns to court Friday.
Police from Brooklyn’s 71st Precinct responded to a call about an injured child at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Crown Heights apartment where Henry was baby-sitting the boy. Henry told officers he was in another room and returned to find the boy unconscious, police said. According to Henry, while he was out of the room the boy fell and injured himself, police said.
The child was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he remained in the pediatric intensive care unit Tuesday in critical condition, Griffith said.
After discussing the boy’s condition with doctors, detectives arrested Henry for allegedly beating the boy, police said.
It was not clear where the boy’s mother was at the time of the incident, but she has not been charged with any crimes, the district attorney’s spokesman said.
Henry, who has a prior criminal record that includes arrests for robbery and assault, pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment Monday, the district attorney’s office said. Henry was remanded and is due back in court Friday.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 229-0300 Ext. 138.
