Jul 31, 2006 7:14 pm US/Eastern
Was Bronx Toddler's Death Preventable?
Abuse Reported To ACS Before Sharllene Morillo's Death
by Christine Sloan
THE BRONX (CBS) ―
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Sharllene Marillo is pictured at a happy outing at a playground.
CBS
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The Administration For Children's Services was informed about Sharllene's abuse six weeks before she died.
CBS
A 2-year-old Bronx girl, Sharllene Morillo, died this weekend, allegedly at the hand of her mothers' boyfriend. Could this tragedy have been prevented?
Home Daycare down the street from her mother's apartment on Webb Avenue could have been the only place that Morillo felt safe. The woman who runs Home Daycare told CBS 2 that she called the Administration for Children's Services on June 13 after noticing bruises and scratch marks on the girl's body.
On Friday, Morillo was pronounced dead at the Montefiore Medical Center, after being rushed to the hospital with severe head injuries.
Sharllene died of blunt-force trauma to the head, according to Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city's chief medical examiner's office. She was brought to Montefiore Hospital unconscious days before her death.
Her mother's boyfriend, 27-year-old Paul Jiminez, is now charged in connection with the girl's death.
Miguel Arias' son attends the same daycare as Morillo and said Jiminez was not a friendly man.
"He always looked at me [with a] dirty look, like a violent person. He seems like a violent person," Arias said.
Gertrudis Acevedo, 53, made the call anonymously from the Kingsbridge Community Center, which helped her with her license.
The call to report the suspected abuse was made on June 13, more than a month before the toddler died last week, she said.
On the afternoon of the call, caseworkers from the city Administration for Children's Services visited the girls home, Acevedo told The New York Times for Monday editions.
A spokesperson for ACS confirmed receiving the call, and said "ACS responded promptly and investigated the allegation. Sharllene Morillo was examined by a doctor at a child advocacy center, and no solid evidence of abuse was found. ACS is now investigating her tragic death."
"I don't know how people do these things. It breaks my heart," Arias said.
ACS won't say whether they followed up on this case once evidence of abuse was not found by their doctor.
Sharllene's death follows months after several high-profile child abuse deaths, including that of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, who prosecutors say was tortured by her stepfather. Reports of her suffering had been made to several agencies, including schools, police and child welfare, and the case led to a shake-up at ACS.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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