Parents of dead infant found on Staten Island initially charged with reckless endangerment

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — The parents of a one-month-old baby boy who was found dead on Staten Island on Saturday were initially charged with reckless endangerment, pending the infant’s autopsy, which will determine his cause of death, police said.

Police found the newborn unresponsive at NYCHA’s West Brighton Houses, located at 240 Broadway, at 6:46 a.m. with visible signs of trauma to his left arm.

EMS rushed the infant to Richmond University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Hospital staff discovered an injury on the baby boy, potentially a burn, that is believed to be a week old.

The boy’s parents, 38-year-old Leonard Thompson and 36-year-old Jenice Lightfoot, were charged with first- and second-degree reckless endangerment on Saturday afternoon.

The medical examiner will determine the child’s cause of death, and the investigation remains ongoing.