A 24-year-old New Jersey man, Zachary Tricoche, was charged with first-degree murder after being accused of killing his girlfriend’s son, Jamil Baskerville Jr., 2, according to NBC Philadelphia.
When Baskerville’s mother – whose name has not been released – returned to her apartment home in Pennsauken on Mansion Avenue with groceries just before noon on Saturday, August 20, an argument ensued when Tricoche realized that she didn’t purchase anything that he likes.
The argument quickly escalated into a physical altercation, and that’s when the woman’s son began to cry uncontrollably as he sat on a bed.
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Tricoche reportedly walked over to the toddler and punched him in the torso, sending him flying off the bed and into the wall, hitting his head.
When Baskerville got up, Tricoche told the “29-pound toddler” to put his “hands up and fight like a man” before striking the child again.
However, this time, the toddler began to vomit and soon loss consciousness.
The mother quickly called 911 and informed dispatchers that her son was unresponsive, but she failed to mention that her boyfriend was responsible for the toddler’s condition.
When emergency responders arrived at the scene, there was nothing they could do.
Paramedics transferred the toddler to the Cooper University Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
A local medical examiner determined that the child’s liver was crushed, which caused internal bleeding.
N.J. man Zachary Tricoche held on $1,000,000 bail, charged with killing this little boy, Jamil Baskerville Jr. pic.twitter.com/XcfHztycKl
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) August 23, 2016
Pennsauken police later arrested Tricoche for allegedly killing the toddler after the mother told investigators what happened.
It was not immediately made clear if the mother will be facing any criminal charges in the death of her son, but a spokesperson, Robert English, from the Camden County prosecutor’s office said:
“I can only say is that she was interviewed.”
Zachary made his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon where a judge ordered the suspect to be held on a $1 million bail.
Baskerville’s grandfather, Gerome DeShields, stated that the state should bring back the death penalty for the killing of his grandson.
He added:
“He should be put to sleep because he killed my grandson”
“He was 2 years old. There should be no reason that you want to hit him.”
The grandfather went on to say that:
“You’re less of a man to sit there and put your hands on any type of child, no matter what age it is.”
For more information, watch this video about the 911 call placed to authorities:
Featured Image By NJ Via YouTube Video
