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Following a swift investigation, police have arrested Lloyd Scott of Mount Vernon, who has been charged with second-degree murder after his son was found unresponsive in their Esplande Gardens apartment by his mother, who rushed him to Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead at approximately 7 p.m.
Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas was joined by local police and elected officials on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday afternoon, where he called the entire ordeal “another tragic situation that hurts beyond recognition.”
“This toddler’s life was taken away from us by someone he trusted,” he said. “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. It was not clear if he was still awaiting arraignment on the murder charge at the time of press conference.
Officials said they are still waiting for a preliminary report from the Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Office and 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," Harris said. "The death of a child, a toddler, is one of the hardest calls for a police officer to respond to and investigate."
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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