Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter During Jury Selection for His Trial
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison for asphyxiating his seven-week-old son because the boy would not stop crying.
Bronx District Attorney Clark said, “This child had barely begun his life when his father cruelly ended it, placing pillows on top of the tiny boy until he couldn’t breathe.”
Bronx District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Teshawn Watkins, 31, of 3642 Holland Avenue, was sentenced on January 11, 2024, to five to 10 years in prison and five years post release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Zimmerman. Watkins pleaded guilty on December 5, 2023, to second-degree Manslaughter in the killing of Kaseem Watkins, as well as to third-degree Assault for hitting Kaseem’s mother, Cecilia Reyes, while she was pregnant with him. The plea came during jury selection for Watkins’ trial. Reyes, the main witness, said she would not testify against Watkins.
According to the investigation, on January 29, 2020, the defendant used pillows to “quiet” Kaseem because he would not stop crying. The cause of death was asphyxia from smothering.
District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Robert Regnier of the 47th Preinct Squad and NYPD Detective Sean Butler of Bronx Homicide, now retired, and Police Officer Joseph Feger of Emergency Services Unit 3 for their work in the investigation.
No comments:
Post a Comment