NYPD: 3-year-old girl falls from 6th floor window in Manhattan
NEW YORK -- A toddler was rushed to the hospital after falling out of a sixth-story window in Manhattan on Sunday morning.
Police say a 3-year-old girl is fighting for her life after plunging from the building in Chelsea just before 11:30 a.m.
Crime scene tape went up quickly.
"That is horrible, a 3-year-old. It's sad. It's really sad," building resident Alexa Cruz said.
CBS2 also spoke to a man who said at first he noticed an object.
"I saw something falling. The minute I heard the thump when she hit the ground, I heard someone screaming and that's when I knew something had gone wrong and it was a person," the man said.
Chaos erupted as those outside realized that person was a little girl who fell six floors down.
"When I approached I noticed the victim was unconsciousness. She didn't seem she hit anything, any concrete or gate, or any pieces around. She landed straight on the grass," the man said.
NYCHA said window guards were installed in the apartment when the family moved in in January of this year, and according to the agency's records the window guards were present when work -- unrelated to the window -- was done a week ago. So now some are asking how the little girl managed to fall out.
"I think NYCHA should require more inspections on window guards because some of these windows don't have guards," Cruz said.
CBS2 did not see a guard on the window. NYCHA released the following statement:
"This is an active NYPD investigation. NYCHA is also conducting an internal investigation of this unfortunate incident and will work with the family to ensure they are connected to the services they need. Based on an immediate review of our records, window guards were installed on all windows when the family moved into the apartment in January 2023. Less than one week ago, on Wednesday, April 12, property management staff entered the apartment to complete repairs unrelated to window guards, and performed a NYCHA 5 Alive inspection, which includes an inspection for window guards. Our records indicate that window guards were present on all windows throughout the apartment at that time. There are no open repair work orders on record for the windows, window guards, or air conditioners at the residence."
As for the little girl, she was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where she is recovering. She's in critical-but-stable condition.