Relatives of baby Jerel Bains are waiting on the results of an autopsy to determine how the infant died, but they believe a police raid carried out at the home where he lived may have contributed to the death.
Jerel, who was said to be just over five weeks old, was unresponsive when he was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital around 10.21 am by mother Akisha Bains and father Jerome Williams on Thursday.
The death was reported to officers at the Belmont Police Station by a doctor at 7.05 pm that same day. The doctor noted that bruises were seen on the baby’s chest.
Although the infant’s parents weren’t at home when Guardian Media visited the house at Ninth Street, Beetham Gardens yesterday, other relatives called for answers.
Holding up a bloody blanket which she said baby Jerel had been wrapped in, his aunt Torsha Williams said, “When I come home from work, I hear my lil nephew did die. I want to know how he die and all the time he was healthy.”
She said the baby was born prematurely and had spent approximately one month in the Intensive Care Unit at the PoSGH. Williams said since his arrival at the home two weeks ago, the infant had been loved and cared for by all the occupants of the residence.
The aunt alluded to a connection between a police exercise at their house between 4 am and 5 am on Thursday, and the death of her nephew.
“I hear police did come inside we house looking for my brother and then after, the mother tell the police he not there ... and then they still raise up he mattress,” Williams claimed.
“The mother tell them the baby on the mattress and they still raise it up and the child like it fall off and die,” she alleged.
While Williams was unable to say if baby Jerel had fallen on the floor during the search, she claimed blood had been seen flowing from his mouth and nose.
She asked, “I want to know how that could happen just so? That baby born healthy, nothing did wrong with the child.”
The other occupants of the house echoed Williams’ sentiments, as they said they last saw the baby quiet and contented.
Another female resident confirmed a party of police officers arrived at the house and attempted to execute a warrant. The woman, who asked not to be named, claimed officers climbed a wall to enter the premises despite residents offering to open the gate.
“When he come in, he start to raise up the beds and ask where he (relative) gone.
“All the bed and them is bunk bed and we tell them it have newborn in here ... they cyar raise up the bed just so. The policeman still went in the bedroom and raise up the mattress while the child on the bed. Afterwards, he rest it back down, walk outside and come back again. Then he tell the mother to come and hold the child,” the woman claimed.
The grieving woman revealed, “When she (the mother) got up in the morning to feed the child, she realised the child was not waking up.”
The relative claimed the baby’s mother called her around 7 am yesterday to indicate something was wrong with the baby.
“When I feel the child, I tell she the child died because he was stiff on the bed.”
She added the baby was well-loved and cherished by all the occupants of the house. The relative described him as a nice child.
She added that the mother was not negligent and was accustomed to caring for her other two children, ages eight and two, daily.
The relative said this is the first time such a tragedy had struck the family.
The emotional woman added, “All we want is to know how he died. We are hurt but we know that nothing will bring him back.”
Relatives said they intended to file a complaint with the Police Complaints Authority on Monday.
A senior officer in the Port -of-Spain Division described the baby’s death as sad and also extended condolences to the grieving family. But he denied any exercises were carried out by the Port-of-Spain Division on Thursday morning.
A post mortem is expected to be done on Monday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.