Tot death duo
Sitter, career criminal beau eyed in S.I. horror
POLICE ARE investigating a pillpopping, schizophrenic baby-sitter and her career criminal boyfriend in connection with the death of a Staten Island toddler, sources said Monday.
Little Anthony Delgado, just 16 months old, had been hit numerous times in the head, had rectal bleeding and suffered what resembles a bite or burn on his penis, sources said.
The baby-sitter, 30, and her 53-year-old boyfriend, who were both high at the start of their police interview, insisted to detectives Monday that the child fell, sources said.
Cops responding to a call of a cardiac arrest found Anthony unconscious inside a building on Steuben St. near Weser Ave. in Park Hill about 10 p.m. Sunday, police said. He was taken to Stat- en Island University Hospital North, where he died just after 11 p.m., officials said.
An emergency room doctor told police Anthony had visible signs of trauma on his body, and his bruises were not consistent with a fall, police sources said.
The boyfriend has 25 arrests on his record. The baby-sitter has nine arrests on her record and a bench warrant. The baby-sitter was also the subject of a prior call regarding an emotionally disturbed person, sources said.
The sitter and her boyfriend are not being named because they have not been charged with any wrongdoing.
The sources said the boy’s mother, Marta Delgado, left him with the sitter on Friday. It is unclear where she went for two days.
Delgado received a text message from the sitter Sunday that said Anthony had fallen and bruised his face during a trip to Manhattan. Building security video from Sunday shows the sitter, with Anthony slung over her shoulder, walking up to his mother’s apartment, sources said.
Delgado’s childhood friend Gabbii Retamar, 25, made an emotional visit to the Steuben St. building Monday afternoon to leave a white candle at a memorial for the little boy.
“She cared about her baby very much,” Retamar, said. “All she cared about was her baby.
“It’s tough, very tough. They’re still putting pieces together.”
Detectives will likely wait until the city medical examiner has classified the death as a homicide before making any arrests. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
City child welfare officials are also investigating.
Neighbor Ricky Perez said the sitter watched other kids in the building.
“It's emotional, it hurts,” he said. “It could be mine, it could be yours, it could be anybody’s. Babies don’t just turn up dead.”