A Brooklyn mother was charged Wednesday after her 2-year-old girl died in a fire that broke out at her apartment the day before. And now the city’s Administration for Children’s Services is investigating reports neighbors had previously raised red flags.
Leila Aquino, 20, was formally charged with reckless endangerment and child endangerment in court Wednesday. She entered no plea and her attorney had no comment. Her bail was set at $10,000.
Family members of Aquino rushed past cameras outside Kings County Criminal Court Wednesday in downtown Brooklyn.
Police arrested and questioned Aquino Tuesday after her daughter, Kaleenah Muldrow, was found dead underneath a bed at her Monroe Street home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. A blaze erupted at the apartment sometime before 7 a.m. and the child’s body was discovered at 8 a.m., according to officials.
Aquino, who wasn't at home when the fire broke out, returned to the building at about 9:45 a.m. and said she couldn't find her daughter. Firefighters then did a second sweep of the home and found the girl underneath a bed in a second-floor room. It's not clear if anyone else was home with the child.
Lisa Robinson, the child's cousin, said that Kaleenah was "a beautiful 2-year-old girl."
"That's beyond sad," said one neighbor. "No words you can say for that."
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Sources familiar with the investigation say neighbors had raised concerns about Aquino’s behavior to the ACS in the past.
The ACS is looking into whether Aquino had previously left her child alone while going out dancing as a stripper. That investigation began only a week ago on Feb. 15, sources say.
And last year on March 3, ACS got a call from a neighbor saying the child had bruises and marks on her body. The outcome of that investigation is unclear.
The city said Wednesday that it’s increasing resources and man power to investigate cases of child abuse.
“We are investigating this tragedy, and privacy laws preclude us from discussing any specific cases. We take each and every allegation seriously and respond to maltreatment allegations within 24 hours of receiving a report,” City Hall spokeswoman Ishanee Parikh said Wednesday.
Sources told NBC 4 New York Tuesday that the fire might be suspicious. Fire marshals were investigating the cause of the blaze.
