He would have turned four next month. Police say a little boy is dead at the hands of his mother's boyfriend. Eugenio Torres, 21, is charged with the death of Elijah Strickland, 3, from Wilson, Northampton County. WFMZ's Eve Tannery reports on the latest.


  Torres was arrested yesterday. He's from Brooklyn and police say he just moved in with his girlfriend, Lauren Anderson, about two weeks ago. She was at work Tuesday when a 911 call brought police to her home in Wilson. >> Officer: Mr. Torres was the only person in the house with baby Elijah. >> TANNERY: As he walked in shackles outside of the Wilson police department, 21-year-old Eugenio Torres shook his head "no" when asked if he beat his girlfriend's son to death. >> TANNERY: Torres told police he was giving three-year-old Elijah Strickland a bath Tuesday, when the baby fell out of the tub. But, police say the first emergency responder on the scene got worried there was more to the story. >> Officer: He saw some bruises on the boy and was concerned. >> TANNERY: Police say the bruises were on Elijah's eye and his abdomen and that there was peeled skin on his leg and ankle. Firefighters performed CPR all the way to Easton Hospital, but Elijah died from his injuries. Police say an autopsy showed the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma. >> NEIGHBOR: I can't believe it. I can't believe it. >> TANNERY: Neighbors say they heard a lot of noise upstairs, but never imagined this. >> Officer: Being that it was a three-year-old and he was beaten like that, it's a horrible thing for everyone in the community. >> REPORTER: Torres is charged with criminal homicide. He's being held at the Northampton County Prison without bail.

Boy's photo courtesy: Express-Times

( Video won't play? CLICK HERE for some helpful suggestions )

---

e-mail story | print view | rss feeds | wireless | google desktop | podcast