Authorities in Florida arrested a 10-year-old boy, Berhaun Blyden, Wednesday and charged him with manslaughter in connection to the fatal beating of his cousin, Journee Blyden, 2, according to the NY Daily News.
On June 21, emergency responders arrived at a home in Ocala after receiving a call about an unresponsive child, who sustained a head injury.
Paramedics rushed Journee to the Ocala Regional Medical Center, but due to the severity of the child’s injuries, she was later flown to:
“UF Health in Gainesville for further treatment.”
Berhaun Blyden, aged 10, charged with killing his two-year-old cousin Journee Blyden https://t.co/hTqRz9aYmF
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) September 10, 2016
Just three days later, doctors determined she had no brain activity and pronounced the child dead.
Lauren Lettelier, who is with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, stated that witnesses informed responding officers at the scene that the child was:
“…Jumping around in her playpen and fell out.”
Neighbor Pat Embree told reporters that the incident was horrifying, but says she isn’t “surprised.”
“…Only because I didn’t believe she fell out of the playpen like that.”
The child’s mother was not present during the time of her death and neither was her father, Kendall Bylden, 29, who is incarcerated on:
“Charges of first-degree felony murder and aggravated child abuse.”
Why did Berhaun Blyden, aged 10 kill his 2 year old cousin? – Scallywag and Vagabond https://t.co/4Wkgzlqy5b #Journee Blyden #Kendall Blyden
— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) September 9, 2016
When police questioned the child’s cousin, Berhaun, who was present during the incident, he confessed to causing her injuries, but claims it was accidental.
The boy told investigators that he was:
“Running while carrying Journee and fell on the kitchen floor.”
He went on to say that sometime later while Journee was sitting on a counter top, he accidentally pushed her off while they were playing.
However, a local medical examiner’s office determined that Berhaun’s confession isn’t consistent with Journee’s injuries.
The pathologist stated that the injuries “would have taken excessive force to create” and the incident was ruled a homicide.
The boy was arrested just two months after the toddler’s death, and he was charged with “aggravated manslaughter of a child.”
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lauren Lettelier said:
“This situation was developed through the evidence, and through a very thorough investigation, we developed all of the evidence.”
“And with our State Attorney’s Office, they were able to collectively come together and decide that these charges were appropriate in this case.”
Prior to Journee’s death, police made 19 visits to the home involving domestic violence, warrant threats, and the child’s father receiving a threatening postcard.
The boy is being held at a juvenile detention center in Marion County.
Featured Image Via Twitter.
