Police Investigate Death Of Badly Bruised 4-Year-Old

Yesterday afternoon, emergency responders were called to a Crown Heights apartment about an unconscious 4-year-old boy. The child, Jayden Lenescar, was in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead Kings County Hospital. Now the police are investigating his death as a homicide.

The boy's mother, Myrna Chen Phang, had called 911 about the boy's condition. She had custody of the boy but Jayden's father Mackenzy Lenescar took care of him on the weekends, according to Lenescar's sister. The ME's office is determining cause of death, but the police believe the amount of bruising on Jayden's body is suspicious. The NY Times reports, "An official at the city’s Administration for Children’s Services, which was investigating the death, said it appeared that the agency had not had any previous dealings with the family."

Lenescar was questioned by police last night, but a source says they don't think he was involved. Relatives and neighbors are expressing shock about the death; Jayden's uncle Karl Henry said, "We're not a family that abuses children. I don't think this is possible," while an aunt said, "His mom didn’t beat him."