Metro

Death of 4-year-old Brooklyn boy ruled homicide, stepdad charged

The death of a 4-year-old boy in his Brooklyn home over the weekend has been ruled a homicide — and his stepdad has been charged with his murder, authorities said. 

Little Jaycee Eubanks died of battered child syndrome with recent blunt trauma to the torso, the city Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed. 

The child’s mother was holding Jaycee when she waved down police in front of her home on Baltic Street in Gowanus around 5 a.m., Sunday, police said.

Officers attempted CPR on the child, who was rushed to Brooklyn Hospital. 

He was pronounced dead a short time later, according to police.

Around the same time, someone called 911 stating that a man was attempting to kill himself at the address, authorities said. Police who responded found that it was the stepfather — identified Wednesday as Jerimiah Johnson, 27 — who was taken into custody, cops said.

Cops confirmed Wednesday morning that Johnson was charged with murder and acting in a manner injurious to a child. 

Jaycee Eubanks died of battered child syndrome. Georgett Roberts
According to investigators, police were initially called to the house because a man, who later turned out to be the stepfather, was attempting to kill himself. KEVIN C DOWNS

He was being held at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn as an emotionally disturbed person, authorities said. 

A source with knowledge of the case told the Post Tuesday that the NYPD was alerted to possible abuse of the boy just weeks before he died — but botched the case by not doing a thorough enough investigation.

Eubanks lived with his mother, brother and stepfather in Brooklyn before his death on September 12, 2021. KEVIN C DOWNS

Workers from the non-profit Safe Horizons interviewed Jaycee and his 6-year-old brother with Special Victims Division officers present — but the cops wrote off the complaint without following protocols that would have spurred a follow-up with the family, the source said. 

An NYPD spokesperson said the cops did make a referral for a medical exam, but did not know if one was actually done.

A spokeswoman for New York City Administration for Children’s Services declined to comment on the specifics of the case.

“Our top priority is protecting the safety and wellbeing of all children in New York City. We are investigating this case with NYPD and we have taken action to secure the safety of the other child in the home,” the spokeswoman said.

A day after Jaycee’s death, another 4-year-old boy, Aisyn Gonzalez, was discovered unconscious and unresponsive when authorities responded to his family’s apartment on South 5th Street near Berry Street in Williamsburg around 10:15 a.m. Saturday, cops said. 

Police have arrested the boy's stepfather Jerimiah Johnson in connection to the 4-year-old's death.
Police have arrested the boy’s stepfather Jerimiah Johnson in connection to the 4-year-old’s death.KEVIN C DOWNS

EMS rushed him to Woodhull Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. 

Cops confirmed Wednesday morning that Gonzalez suffered trauma to his torso and was killed. No one was immediately arrested.