An East Flatbush man is facing 25 years to life in prison after he allegedly lured his neighbor’s three-year-old son into a vacant apartment before beating and drowning him to death, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Kevin James, 29, is charged with second-degree murder and kidnapping in connection with the death of Denim Brown. He was arraigned Monday, April 29 before the Brooklyn Supreme Court.
“Denim Brown was an innocent child whose life ended in unthinkable violence, allegedly at the hands of this defendant,” Gonzalez said Monday while announcing the indictment. “We are determined to see that this defendant is held responsible for this crime. Our hearts are with the boy’s mother and loved ones as they grieve this horrific loss.”
According to the district attorney’s office, the child’s mother left him in the care of her nextdoor neighbor, James’ stepfather, on March 17. The families live in the same building on New York Avenue in East Flatbush and the stepfather frequently babysat for the boy, per the prosecution.
When the stepfather noticed that the boy was missing, he and other neighbors began to frantically search the building, discovering Brown face down in a bathtub full of water inside a vacant apartment down the hall at 9:30 p.m.
Prosecutors said the child was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead and showed signs of being severely beaten. An autopsy by the Medical Examiner later concluded that Brown died as a result of drowning with a contributing factor of blunt force trauma to the head and body.
Further investigation from the DA’s office alleges that James was seen leaving his family’s fourth-floor apartment with Brown at 7 p.m. that evening. It is also alleged that James’ credit card was discovered inside the vacant apartment near the boy’s body.
At the arraignment, Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo ordered James be held without bail and to return to court on June 20.
He is currently charged with two-counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, and luring a child. If convicted on the top count, James faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
