Neighbor accused of killing 3-year-old boy in abandoned Brooklyn apartment
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- The man accused of beating and drowning a 3-year-old boy to death Sunday snuck out of a Brooklyn apartment with the toddler without anyone noticing, authorities said.
Kevin James, 29, the child's neighbor, allegedly took Denim Brown, 3, to an abandoned fourth-floor apartment in the East Flatbush building and attacked him, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. The child was found unconscious in the bathtub with neck and head injuries at around 9:45 p.m., officials said.
Brown's mother left the boy with the babysitter, 66, who had been watching the toddler for more than two years, Kenny said during a press briefing on Thursday. The babysitter's three sons, including James, also live in the apartment.
Authorities said James allegedly snuck out of the unit with the boy, killed him, and left him to return to his apartment before the suspect's brothers noticed the child was missing. James then grabbed the boy's iPad and went back to the scene of the crime, authorities said.
"So the two brothers start the search for the kid and find him deceased. James leaves the building later returns and is placed under arrest," Kenny said.
James was incoherent during questioning and had no history of mental illness, police said. He has one prior arrest for petit larceny.
James was charged with murder and assault and is being held without bail. He has pleaded not guilty.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.