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Teen Charged With Throwing 9-Year-Old Boy Off Roof In The Bronx

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A suspect has been charged with throwing a 9-year-old boy off a roof in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx.

Casmine Aska, 17, was charged Saturday morning with throwing the boy from the roof of the building at 1545 Nelson Ave. in the Bronx Friday evening, police said.

Sources said the younger boy was dragged up to the roof.

Teen Charged With Throwing 9-Year-Old Boy Off Roof In The Bronx

Upon arriving at the scene around 8:30 p.m. Friday, police found the boy unconscious and unresponsive with severe trauma to his body. Police initially believed he had been thrown from the roof.

The 9-year-old was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

Neighbors told CBS 2's Steve Langford that it was heartbreaking seeing the young boy lying unconscious.

"My heart broke, I see that kid everyday," said Philip Rivera.

Police said the teenage suspect made "incriminating statements." They said he'd had a fight with the younger boy, but it was not clear what it was about.

The fourth grader lives with his parents and grandparents in the of the five-story building, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported. The suspect is his neighbor in the building – one lived on the fourth floor, the other on the third.

Neighbors such as Philip Rivera could not believe Aska could harm the boy as he is accused of doing.

"For him to do anything wrong to that kid, no, no," Rivera said. "Maybe something went wrong and it was by accident."

Aska was charged with second-degree attempted murder.

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