BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that Jerimiah Johnson, a 30-year-old Brooklyn resident, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the death of his girlfriend’s son, four-year-old Jayce Eubanks. The sentencing occurred at the Brooklyn Supreme Court, with Justice Donald Leo presiding. Johnson had previously pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter on April 17, 2024.
The tragic case unfolded on September 12, 2021, when Jayce’s mother, Rickia Delvalle, was alerted by Johnson that Jayce was struggling to breathe and had collapsed. Despite immediate efforts to aid him, Jayce was pronounced dead at Brooklyn Hospital Center at approximately 6:54 a.m. that morning.
An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed a harrowing history of abuse, identifying both old and new injuries across Jayce’s body, including multiple bruises, abrasions, healing and recent rib fractures, and a healing skull fracture. The cause of death was determined to be battered child syndrome, exacerbated by recent blunt force injuries to the torso.
District Attorney Gonzalez expressed his commitment to protecting children and holding abusers accountable, emphasizing the severe and repeated abuse suffered by Jayce in his brief life. The sentencing aims to deliver justice for Jayce and deter similar crimes against children.