A man from the Bronx has been arrested in connection with the death of his 8-month old son on the Lower East Side this past spring.
On March 22, the child’s mother came home to her apartment at the Rutgers Houses, finding Augustin Tinnin face down in a crib, covered with blankets. The boy did not respond. Earlier, he had been left in the care of his father, 20-year-old Claude Tinnin.
The child was rushed to Lower Manhattan Hospital, still alive, but died the following day.
Only this week did the Medical Examiner rule the death a homicide. Claude Tinnin, who was previously facing assault charges, is on Riker’s Island. The Daily News reported that there was an order of protection that should have prevented Tinnin from being inside the apartment at the time the child was killed. “Tinnin admitted that he wrapped a large blanket around the child, including his face, and put him face down inside the crib,” reported the News.
A doctor reportedly told cops that the boy died of a heart attack from a “respiratory injury.” Police released details of the case on Thursday for the first time after the Medical Examiner’s ruling. Tinnin could face murder charges when he is back in court next month. Meantime, he’s being held on Riker’s without bail.
