Court Documents Reveal Details In Alleged Deadly Abuse Of 10-Year-Old Ayden Wolfe In Harlem
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - There's new information in what investigators say was the deadly abuse of a 10-year-old boy in Harlem.
His mother's boyfriend has been arraigned on murder charges.
As CBS2's Andrea Grymes reports, there's a montage of pictures set to music on YouTube of Ayden Wolfe's short life. His smiling young face is a sharp contrast to the details emerging about how he died - murdered at just 10 years old.
Ayden's alleged killer is his mother's 34-year-old boyfriend Ryan Cato.
Police were called to their Harlem apartment where they all lived Saturday afternoon. The medical examiner ruled Ayden died from battered child syndrome.
Web Extra: Read The Complaint (.pdf)
According to the criminal complaint, "the child's body was covered from head to toe with bruises and abrasions," including multiple broken ribs, among other injuries.
The complaint also states the day before, on Friday afternoon, someone heard banging and yelling coming from the apartment for about 40 minutes.
"The person stated that the male voice was yelling, 'DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT YOUR A** TOO?' The female voice was saying 'STOP.' The person also heard a soft voice moaning in pain," the complaint reads.
The complaint says that same person heard more banging, yelling and moaning the next morning. Some four hours later, Ayden died at Harlem Hospital.
In a news conference Monday, police said there were no prior 911 calls at that apartment that would indicate any child abuse.
Tuesday afternoon, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea released a statement saying someone did call 911 on Friday to report a domestic dispute on the 4th floor, including banging and screaming in the hallway and a child present.
Shea says when police arrived, they didn't notice any dispute in the hall, or when they listened at doors. He says they tried calling the original 911 caller to get an apartment number, but their calls went to voicemail, so they ultimately left.
Shea says they are reviewing the police response to make sure all procedures were followed.
Police say the victim's mother does have a prior ACS case for child neglect after he was born in 2010.
According to GoFundMe page put up since Ayden's death, he was her pride and joy.
