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The 2-year-old boy was found unresponsive by his mother on Monday night in the Esplande Gardens apartment building in Mount Vernon when she returned home from work. After rushing him to Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, the child was pronounced dead at approximately 7 p.m.
Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. announced the cause of death on Wednesday in a statement.
In a felony complaint filed in Mount Vernon City Court, it is alleged that Scott struck the child, whose name will not be released at the request of the family.
Scott was arraigned on a second-degree murder charge on Tuesday and is being held in the Westchester County Jail without bail. He is due back in court on Monday, April 23.
“This toddler’s life was taken away from us by someone he trusted,” Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Mount Vernon is grieving right now. Our heart is broken again after losing another one of our children.”
The death had initially been deemed “suspicious” by police investigators, who eventually tracked down Scott at an undisclosed location on Tuesday and took him into custody.
Officials said that the investigation remains in its “infancy.” Investigators from the Mount Vernon Police Department are continuing to work with the District Attorney’s Office as the investigation is ongoing.
"The tragic death of any human being is hard enough to deal with," Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Shawn Harris said. "The death of a child, a toddler, is one of the hardest calls for a police officer to respond to and investigate."
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