A 25-year-old Brooklyn woman was arraigned Thursday in the death of her 7-month-old son earlier this year, the Staten Island District Attorney’s office said.
Dameen Mohammed died of malnutrition and dehydration due to neglect on Jan. 7, 2017, police said on Wednesday following a lengthy investigation. His death was ruled a homicide by the city Medical Examiner’s office on Sept. 18, according to cops.
Police had been tipped off about possible child neglect in the case by hospital staff after Dameen’s mother, Anwar Jawad, brought her unconscious son to the emergency room of the NYU Langone Medical Center in Brooklyn the same day he died, according to the NYPD.
Investigators had been pursuing an investigation into Dameen’s death for the past nine months, police said.
That investigation revealed Jawad failed to provide adequate food, nourishment and hydration, which led to the baby boy’s death, according to a criminal complaint. But it was unclear what caused her sudden arrest in the case.
Jawad is now facing charges of second-degree murder, criminally negligent homicide and acting in a manner injurious to a child, cops said.
The case is being handled by the Staten Island District Attorney’s office because that is Dameen’s last known address, according to police. Jawad was remanded without bail in Staten Island criminal court on Thursday, the district attorney’s office said.
The city’s Administration for Children’s Services declined to comment, citing confidentiality laws.
