By Christina Santucci
Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged an investigation into the beating death of a 2-year-old girl in the Rockaways and a broader probe into the policies and practices of the Administration for Children’s Services during his remarks to reporters Thursday in the Bronx.
“We’re going to take a very deep look and come back to the public with a vision of how we move forward,” de Blasio said, according to a transcript released by his office. “But I cannot accept the death of any child, and we have to make sure we’re doing everything possible to protect our children.”
The mayor said a full investigation into the death of toddler Kevasia Edwards, whose mother, Ashley Diaz, was charged with murder, would be performed and details would be released once completed.
Diaz allegedly told authorities that she had waited more than 90 minutes to call for help after her daughter suffered a seizure and fell to the floor Jan. 31, the DA said. A neighbor was called to the Beach 56th Place apartment and performed CPR on the child, who was rushed to St. John’s
Episcopal Hospital and pronounced dead just after midnight Feb. 1, according to the borough’s top prosecutor.
But investigators say some of the toddler’s injuries appear to have been sustained before Jan. 31.
An autopsy found Kevasia’s body had old and fresh bruising on her face, neck, legs and torso, multiple cuts on her scalp, scars on varying age and two rib fractures with an underlying liver injury, the Queens DA said. She had suffered hemorrhaging underneath her scalp, in both eyes, and in her lower back, the report showed, according to the DA.
“The defendant has been charged with causing the death of her own child – a defenseless 2-year-old girl who suffered greatly in her short life,” District Attorney Richard Brown said. “The actions of the defendant are totally incomprehensible.”
Diaz faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted, the DA said.
When asked about the case while at an unrelated news conference Thursday, de Blasio addressed both Kevasia’s death and that of 4-year-old Myls Dobson, who was found dead in midtown last month.
“These cases affect me very personally as a parent, and I cannot ever hear these reports and not feel something very strongly. So I’m deeply disturbed that we lost two children,” he said.
The mayor said officials would look into “potential changes” at ACS through investigations into the two youngsters’ cases.
Reach managing editor Christina Santucci by e-mail at timesledgerphotos@gmail.com by phone at 718-260-4589.
