ROCKAWAYS — A 28-year-old mother was charged with beating her 2-year-old daughter to death in the Arverne section of the Rockaways, and authorities were also investigating the death of another toddler in South Jamaica, the Queens DA said Wednesday.
Ashley Diaz, who was being held pending arraignment, allegedly told investigators that her daughter, Kevasia Edwards, had a seizure and fell to the ground in their Beach 56th Place apartment at about 9:30 p.m. Monday evening, the DA said.
Diaz allegedly didn’t call for help until after 11 p.m., and a neighbor who was awakened by Diaz at 11:15 p.m. said the child’s face was red and bruised, her lip bleeding and her teeth pushed in and jutting out in different directions, the DA said.
Kevasia was then rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, where she was pronounced dead just after midnight Tuesday, the DA said.
Authorities said Kevasia’s body had old and fresh bruising on her face, legs and torso, two rib fractures and scarring on her right foot consistent with an earlier burn, the DA said.
Later Tuesday, a 2-year-old boy from South Jamaica who authorities said had bruising on his body was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
Emergency responders were called to his home, on 156th Street between South Road and 107th Avenue, at about 3:15 p.m. and found the unconscious toddler inside, police said.
A spokeswoman for the NYPD said the child, identified as Naizer Reid, had some bruising on his body.
The city’s medical examiner would determine Naizer’s cause of death and an investigation was ongoing, police said.
