Infant Badly Beaten By Dad On Father's Day, Police Say
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A young father in Brooklyn is facing charges in a disturbing assault that police say nearly killed his infant daughter.
16-month old Nylah Lewis is fighting for her life after the alleged attack that happened on Father's Day. Police sources say her own father assaulted her, leaving her with skull fractures, bleeding of the brain, and bruising so severe she's now in a coma.
"They're waiting on a test to see if there's any brain activity at the moment," Nylah's aunt Janice Munford told CBS2's Valerie Castro.
Investigators Monday were at the Coney Island apartment where the child was under the care of her 18-year-old father, Shaquan Taylor, during a legal visitation on Father's Day.
Police sources say after a few hours he contacted the child's 17-year-old mother, who lives nearby, and told her there was a serious problem and to come pick the child.
"She just said he said to get everything and just get out, that's it," Munford said. "I don't know if he was on something."
Munford adds there was no mention that Nylah was hurt or may need to go to the hospital. She says the mother noticed the little girl was having trouble breathing.
"She didn't look herself, she's good here, but from their point of view at the hospital, she doesn't look like this baby right here," Munford said.
As she tried to leave with the child, sources say Taylor chased after her and hit her in the face.
He was arrested at the scene. Taylor denied hurting the child and claimed she was accidentally injured when she fell off the bed and off a toilet seat, according to police sources.
Taylor is facing charges of assault on a child.