NEW YORK, NY – A newborn boy found unresponsive in a Manhattan apartment last year has been ruled the victim of a homicide, police confirmed Tuesday.
The ruling comes from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner following a lengthy investigation into the infant’s death.
Authorities said the baby, identified as Santiago-Sanchez, Baby John Doe, was only one day old when he was discovered unconscious on November 21 at an address on West 143rd Street.
Baby found unresponsive in Washington Heights
Police initially responded to a 911 call around 5 p.m. that day for an aided child at 3959 Broadway, within the 33rd Precinct. Upon arrival, officers learned the incident had actually occurred inside 619 West 143rd Street, in the 30th Precinct.
The infant was taken by private means to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Detectives from both precincts and the NYPD’s homicide division were notified at the time, though the cause of death was not immediately clear.
Investigation turns to homicide case
More than a year later, on December 9, the medical examiner’s office formally classified the case as a homicide. Police have not released further details regarding the cause or manner of death, citing the ongoing investigation.
No arrests have been made, and authorities continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the child’s death.
Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline.
