12-Year-Old Brooklyn Boy Dies After Complaining Of Head Pain, NYPD Investigating
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD is investigating the death of a 12-year-old boy in Brooklyn.
The sudden death of Romy Vilsaint is described as suspicious by investigators, who are looking into claims the 12-year-old was bullied and attacked during school hours on two consecutive days before he died.
He was pronounced dead early Friday morning at Kings County Hospital.
"He was a lovable guy, like fun ... Everybody's dying inside," cousin Roodwiny Exantus told CBS2's Dave Carlin.
Exantus lived with Romy in an East Flatbush apartment building along with Romy's father.
Romy's sisters and mother remain in their native Haiti.
The cousin says Romy told him about enduring back-to-back daytime attacks from boys believed to his classmates at nearby Public School 361 on Newkirk Avenue.
"He stated that he got jumped by two kids on Wednesday, and on Thursday, he got hit in the back of the head real hard," Exantus said. "The principal asked the kid why he did that. The kids were like. he got a paid a dollar to do it ... He had a severe headache, and he had to spend the rest of the day in the nurse's office in the school."
CBS2 has been told family members question if a school nurse realized the boy was injured, why was he not transported to a hospital from the school?
"The school called the dad, but he was at work so he didn't pick up the phone," Exantus said. "To me, they did something wrong. Like, if the kid got hit in the head and he couldn't come back to class and you're told it's severe ... you don't need to wait for his dad's permission, just take him out to the hospital."
The school was empty Saturday. CBS2 reached out by phone and email to the Department of Education and did not hear back.
The boy's condition turned grave at home Thursday night into Friday.
"It was around three in the morning, his dad said he was throwing up," Exantus said.
The boy loved basketball and said he wanted to be an actor.
His cousin remembers him as popular and cannot guess why anyone would want to harm him.
"If it was a bully situation, that's what led to that fight, that has to stop," Exantus said.
The medical examiner's report is expected next week. The family believes he had no pre-existing conditions.