A 4-year-old girl was found dead in a homeless shelter in Queens on Thursday afternoon with her death being deemed “suspicious,” authorities said.
The girl, Lakeisha Nelson, was found inside the Briarwood Family Residence in Jamaica just before 1:30 p.m., police and a Department of Homeless Services spokesman said.
The circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately clear.
A woman who answered the phone at Briarwood said the facility had no comment on the incident.
“The loss of a child is always terribly disturbing,” the DHS spokesman said in a statement on Thursday. “We are responsible for the safety of our children and families, and we are working closely with the Police Department to investigate the tragic death of five year old Lakeisha Nelson at a Queens shelter. Updates will be made when we have more information to share.”
Lakeisha’s death comes just days after another 3-year-old girl was found beaten to death inside a Brooklyn homeless shelter. Jeida Torres was allegedly attacked by her stepfather after she accidentally soiled herself, police have said.
Her 5-year-old brother, Andrew, was allegedly pummeled as well.
Kelsey Smith, 20, who had recently married the children’s mother, was held without bail from his hospital bed at Bellevue Medical Center on Wednesday, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said in a statement.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Lakeisha Nelson’s age. She is four years old.
