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NYC Man Accused Of Beating 17-Month-Old Boy

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Police have arrested a man in connection with a beating that left a toddler fighting for his life.

The New York Police Department says 19-year-old Kysheen Oliver has been charged with assault.

Police say Teyuana Cummings left her 17-month-old child with Oliver Thursday while she took her two older children to school. Police say Oliver is her boyfriend.

On Friday, police responded to a 911 call on Fountain Avenue in East New York. The caller said a child wasn't breathing.

1010 WINS' Al Jones reported the child was suffering from both internal and external injuries. Some of the injuries were apparently old enough to suggest a pattern of abuse.

The 17-month-old is in critical condition at Brookdale University Hospital.

A neighbor told Jones he never saw Cummings abuse her children.

The city's Administration for Children's Services asked the Family Court to place Cummings' other two children into the agency's protective custody.

It was not immediately clear if Oliver had a lawyer.

Does the city do enough to protect children? If the allegations are true, what would be the appropriate punishment? Leave a comment below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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