A 6-year-old boy, Jathan Escobar, has died after his stepfather allegedly beat him with a baseball bat. Jathan passed away on Wednesday after being placed on life support due to severe injuries that left him “brain dead”, according to The New York Post.
“He has no blood flow to his head. It’s not flowing past his head. His heart is beating off of medicine is what they’re telling us, and he’s on a ventilator as well,” said Sasha Heron, Jathan’s cousin, as she described the extent of his injuries.
Jathan’s family members remember him as a “beautiful soul” who remained cheerful despite the violent environment he was surrounded by. “He was always so happy and he just enjoyed life altogether. No matter what was going on, he was always so happy with everybody,” Heron recalled, via People.
The boy’s stepfather, Abdulrahim Sulaiman, has been charged with murder. Authorities accuse Sulaiman of using a baseball bat to attack not only Jathan but also his wife and Jathan’s 4-year-old brother, Eli Escobar. Sulaiman is currently being held on a $10 million bond.
According to Jathan’s mother, Sulaiman had been smoking PCP recently and had become increasingly violent. The family disclosed that Jathan’s mother had only known Sulaiman for a year and had been married to him for just a few months.
“I knew he was hitting her because she told me, and I knew he threatened to kill her and the kids,” said Jathan’s aunt, Sandra Escobar, expressing the family’s concerns about the situation.
The family claims they had contacted the Department of Child and Family Services multiple times, reporting Sulaiman’s violent behavior and threats. “It just hurts us to see that he had to go through such violence,” Escobar added, expressing the grief felt by Jathan’s loved ones.
The Department of Child and Family Services has not confirmed receiving these reports but stated that they are currently working with the Bridgeport Police Department to investigate the case. The tragic loss has raised questions about the measures taken to protect the children and what could have been done to prevent such a devastating outcome.