‘HORRIBLE’

Father of 3-Year-Old Boy Arrested After ‘Bruised’ Tot’s Death in NYC Shelter

Shaquan Butler, 26, who shares a name with the child, has a lengthy rap sheet of at least two dozen arrests.

The father of a 3-year-old boy who died while living at a New York City homeless shelter was arrested and charged with the child’s murder Wednesday, according to The New York Times. Shaquan Butler, 26, who shared a name with the child, has a lengthy rap sheet of at least two dozen arrests as an adult, including gang assault, inciting a riot and weapons possession. Police were first alerted to the child in distress after both of his parents requested emergency services at the Boulevard Family Residence in Elmhurst, where first responders discovered Shaquan Butler Jr.’s body with a faint pulse and covered in bruises. His mother claimed he’d fallen unconscious after hitting his head and choking on a chicken nugget. There have been no reported arrests in the case so far, though the family had reportedly already been under investigation by the Administration for Children’s Services for prior allegations. ACS removed two other children from the home following Shaquan Jr.’s death.