A father in Queens claims he was drunk when his 2-year-old son was beaten so badly that he ended up on life support in the hospital.
Dayvon Morrison, 30, was arraigned on attempted murder and assault charges Wednesday morning. He pleaded not guilty, and was ordered held without bail.
Morrison apparently said he was drunk, and when he woke up, he saw “multiple bruises on the victim’s face but did not seek medical attention at that time.”
He said, “he must have hit the victim but doesn’t remember because he was intoxicated.”
The beating is alleged to have occurred on the seventh floor of the Manhattan View Hotel, which is now operating as a shelter, sometime on Friday night.
Instead of going to get little Maliek Williams help, Morrison allegedly took the child in a stroller to East Harlem Saturday morning to drop off his other child.
That is where witnesses noticed the toddler’s disturbing condition, and called police.
Maliek did not get medical care until early Monday morning.
Maliek Williams
Police responded to a 911 call near East 102nd Street and Third Avenue on Monday at around 3 a.m. and found the boy with severe head trauma.
Maliek is on a ventilator at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital with a “blown right pupil, fractured pelvis, laceration to the liver, damage to the brain stem, multiple brain bleeds and swelling to the brain, among other injuries.”
Cyndy Williams and her son, Maliek.
“They just told me that there is nothing more they can do for my baby,” the boy’s mother, Cyndy Williams said.
She posted on social media asking for prayers: “My baby is fighting for his life in the ICU please, I can’t do anything but pray.”
“ACS was involved. I begged ACS. I begged the court,” Williams said. “I had my suspicions. I have paper trails. I have messages. All of that. This shouldn’t have happened.”
The Administration for Children’s Services released a statement on Wednesday saying, “The safety and well-being of New York City children is our top priority. We are investigating this horrific abuse with the NYPD, and we are hoping the child will make a full recovery.”
Residents and community leaders are planning to meet for a prayer vigil for the toddler.
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Follow us on YouTube
* More local news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.