Allegations of child abuse were raised to multiple agencies leading up to the death of a 6-year-old Harlem boy, CBS2’s chief political correspondent Marcia Kramer reported, as prosecutors said an autopsy showed the boy had several injuries.
Zymere Perkins died Monday after being rushed to a hospital. Prosecutors said Wednesday night that a preliminary autopsy showed Zymere had several broken ribs, old injuries and was severely malnourished.
Neighbors said they saw the warning signs.
“It was just bruises on top of bruises. It was all bruises,” Joanne Martinez said. “It was all bruises.”
The boy’s mother, 26-year-old Geraldine Perkins, and her boyfriend, Ryshein Smith, were arrested for acting in a manner injurious to a child. CBS2’s Valerie Castro reported that they both have been charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child and are being held on $50,000 bond each.
The complaint said Zymere was hanging from his shirt on the back of the bathroom door in Riverview Apartments after he was beaten.
The complaint said Zymere was hanging from his shirt on the back of the bathroom door in Riverview Apartments after he was beaten. Perkins allegedly then placed him on the bed unconscious and went to rest and read the Bible.
Neighbors said the authorities were called on numerous occasions.
“It’s been multiple times that they’ve been here, you know. It’s been multiple occasions when it — this could have been prevented,” Maggie Disc said.
The NY Times reports that Rosemary Perkins, Geraldine’s great-aunt, said that the boy’s mother was sick and that the family’s efforts to help had been blocked.
“We were trying to explain to the caseworker that she belongs with her family, not in no shelter where she wouldn’t be watched because her mind goes,” Rosemary Perkins said.
Police said the unconscious boy was carried out of the apartment on 135th Street and Broadway by his mother. She took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“It will forever be in my mind his lifeless, little body, you know. It was so sad,” said witness Joanne Martinez.
Sources said sometime early Monday, Zymere was violently beaten as he was struck repeatedly with a broken broomstick by Smith and then held underwater in the shower until he fell unconscious.
The city’s Administration for Children’s Services was reportedly called five times since 2010, including once by a social worker at the boy’s school after bruises were noticed on him.
When CBS2 questioned Mayor Bill de Blasio about the case, he said he wasn’t going to speculate.
“What I want to know is if agencies were involved with this child — whether it’s NYPD, Department of Education, ACS — I want to know what happened and why,” the mayor said.
“And if we need to make changes, I will very aggressively make those changes,” he continued.
Dr. Mary Pulido, of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said everyone failed Zymere Perkins.
“The government cannot go it alone. In problems where there could be mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, crime everyone has to be involved. It is not acceptable to have one child die,” she said.
The mayor said he is willing to make changes, but just months ago he was put on notice about problems with ACS.
A June 16 audit by Comptroller Scott Stringer found that the agency was putting thousands of children at risk because of, “shoddy investigations and poor oversight.”
ACS said it is investigating the Perkins case with the NYPD and has 60 days to complete the investigation.
The medical examiner has not released the cause of death in this case.
If you know more about this case please call 9-1-1.
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