Authorities report that a baby girl was allegedly assaulted by a man in the Bronx on a recent Saturday.
Jerome Thomas, 19, faces charges of first-degree assault and child endangerment after reportedly striking the head of a one-year-old with a closed fist in an apartment around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, according to police.
Responding to reports of someone needing help, officers discovered Thomas, a semi-conscious 25-year-old woman, and the injured infant in an apartment on Union Avenue.
The baby was subsequently transported to Harlem Hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition.
Details remain murky regarding whether the woman and Thomas are the baby’s biological parents, as well as the nature of their relationship, police indicated.
Detectives were seen collecting evidence from the apartment later on Saturday afternoon.
One neighbor, Nicole Lacroix, mentioned that the trio was not well-known in the building. She speculated that Thomas and the woman might be in a relationship.
“I spent some time with them. One night, my boyfriend and I showed them around the area since we’re familiar with it,” Lacroix recalled. “I even held the baby for a bit—she was lively and played with my phone.”
Lacroix also mentioned her daughter overheard a heated conversation from the apartment and wished she could have stepped in to help.
Another neighbor, Maurice, described the entire situation as “shocking.”
During a court appearance at Bronx Crown Court on Saturday, Thomas pleaded not guilty to the charges. His next court date is set for September 4, but his lawyer could not be reached for comments.
