The mother of a 3-year-old boy who fell to his death reportedly had a pending child abuse charge against her at the time of her son’s death.
On Saturday morning, Jayce Garcia, 3, plunged to his death after falling through a window of a 29th-floor apartment in Harlem, New York City.
According to a family friend, the young boy was playing on his own in the living room while his mother, Jayda, was with her partner, Julio Garcia, in another room.
While playing, Jayce managed to break through the mosquito screen before falling out of the apartment and landing on the scaffolding on the fifth floor.
The boy has since been pictured and it was revealed that his mother had a pending child abuse charge at the time of his death.
The details of the charge remain unclear. It is also not clear if the charge concerns the mother’s treatment of Jayce or if it is related to another child.
Meanwhile, it has also come to light that Julio Garcia, Jayce’s father, was named in nine domestic violence incidents. He allegedly appeared as a victim in seven.
According to the reports, the couple was heard arguing shortly before the tragic accident.
After the fall, Jayda rushed out of the building and was heard crying out: “My baby, my baby, he is up there.”
“When you look out the terrace you see the baby’s body. He was in his diapers and T-shirt. Then you hear screams. I think the mom was screaming and I looked and the baby was in the scaffolding,” one resident said.
Another recalled: “She was sitting on the ground in her socks. She was screaming, ‘My baby, my baby, he is up there.’”
According to the young boy’s grandmother, Cherise Young, Jayda has been struggling after the incident.
“[Jayda is] not doing well at all. She’s not well at all,” Young said as she recalled the 3-year-old as a “very happy baby” and insisted that his mother “loved him very much.”
The boy’s aunt added: “He loved to play with his race cars and loved to snuggle while watching Disney movies. He was such a bright child with a huge life ahead of him. He was surrounded by many who loved and adored him.”
The tragic death remains under investigation. It was not immediately clear if the boy’s parents will face any charges.
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