'UNTHINKABLE VIOLENCE': Man indicted for beating, drowning neighbor's 3-year-old son in Brooklyn

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A 29-year-old man was indicted on murder and kidnapping charges for beating and drowning his neighbor’s three-year-old son in March, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Monday.

Kevin James, 29, is charged with two-counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, and luring a child.

According to the investigation, on March 17, the mother of three-year-old Denim Brown left him in the care of James’ stepfather.

The families live in the same building located at New York Avenue in East Flatbush and the stepfather frequently babysat for the boy, authorities said.

At approximately 7 p.m., James was allegedly seen leaving his family’s fourth-floor apartment with Brown.

When the stepfather realized the boy was missing, he and other family members began to frantically search the building for him. He was found face down in a bathtub full of water inside a vacant apartment down the hall at approximately 9:30 p.m., prosecutors said.

The child showed signs of being severely beaten and was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County where he was pronounced dead.

According to the investigation, James’ credit card was allegedly discovered inside the vacant apartment near the boy’s body.

An autopsy by the Office of the New York City Medical Examiner concluded that Brown’s cause of death was drowning with a contributing factor of blunt force trauma to the head and body.

"Denim Brown was an innocent child whose life ended in unthinkable violence, allegedly at the hands of this defendant," DA Gonzalez said. "We are determined to see that this defendant is held responsible for this crime. Our hearts are with the boy’s mother and loved ones as they grieve this horrific loss."