The death of a 1-year-old girl was ruled a homicide on Tuesday, months after she was found dead inside her Queens home.
Elaina Torabi was found on Oct. 3, 2018, alongside her twin brother, who had suffered severe trauma and was in critical condition inside their Auburndale home. On Tuesday, the city’s medical examiner ruled Torabi’s death a homicide caused by fatal child abuse syndrome, when a child suffers injuries over a period of time.
The twins’ 30-year-old mother, Tina Torabi, was arrested the next day and charged with assault in her son’s injuries and has been held without bail since. It was not immediately clear if the charges against Torabi would be upgraded to reflect the medical examiner’s determination. Her next court appearance was scheduled for Friday, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Father Mohammad Torabi, 31, was found dead of an apparent suicide, a few days after his daughter’s death, on the third-floor landing of the Renaissance New York Hotel 57 on 57th Street and Lexington Avenue. Police have said he was found after a housekeeper peered out of the hotel’s 17th floor window.
The twins have three older sisters, all younger than 6, who were also in the home at the time, but were not injured, according to police and reports.
