Watch CBS News

5-Year-Old Girl Dies When Fence Gives Way In Brooklyn

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A Brooklyn family is grieving after a freak accident claimed the life of their youngest member Thursday night.

Edgar Pinto is still trying to process the loss of his 5-year-old daughter, Alysson. It happened while she was playing on a patio in front of a relative's home.

Alysson Pinto-Chaumana
Alysson Pinto-Chaumana (credit: Family handout)

"I feel so bad. How many of you may understand what great pain it is to lose a daughter that you greatly love. The only daughter I had, and now I am without words," he told CBS2's Tara Jakeway.

Just after 7:30 p.m., surveillance footage captured the little girl walking next to an ornamental fence that started to shake and fall.

The top section of the 6-by-3-foot fence with marble granite fence posts toppled over onto the child.

Her mother, Maria Chaumana, flagged down a passing ambulance. The girl was taken to the hospital but died from her injuries.

Brooklyn Fence Collapse
A 5-year-old child was walking with her mother shortly before 9 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2019, near Harman Street and Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick. (credit: CBS2)

Radhica Netchandra lives on the first floor of the home where the incident happened. Netchandra has two daughters of her own.

"I'm really sorry. I cannot express myself because I know the pain that she is going through," Netchandra said. "I just feel sick. I know the pain that I'm going through, so I know what she is going through."

The 5-year-old was at the Harman Street home to see Oscar Vega, her uncle who lives on the top floor.

"They were here visiting. I don't know how it happened in the moment that they arrived," he said. "I don't know."

CBS2 has been told the fence was reconstructed less than a year ago.

Fragments of the glue used to hold the marble posts in place can be seen at the scene.

Brooklyn-deadly-fence-accident
A 5-year-old girl was killed in a tragic accident last night in Brooklyn. (CBS2)

"There was only one spot that had glue and nothing else to hold it up. It could've happened to anyone walking down the street, or even the homeowners could've been hurt," Vega said.

"I tried to do the right thing. I tried to get a licensed person. I never knew that the fence could end up taking someone's life," Netchandra said.

The Department of Buildings investigated after the incident and found the homeowners in violation for failure to maintain their property. That violation comes with potential civil penalties of $6,250.

"I would like for an investigation and for justice to find out how this happened," Pinto said.

Alysson's family is gathering in front of the home Friday evening to mourn their loss.

CBS2 reached out to the contractors Netchandra says she used, but they have not responded.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.