The parents of a 5-month-old girl who was found unconscious with multiple skull fractures over the weekend told police that the infant suffered the fatal injuries while a priestess tried to rid her of a so-called "evil eye," police sources have told NBC 4 New York.
The parents of Alaia Baque allegedly told police that they took the girl to a priestess in hopes of getting her to stop crying, according to the sources. The parents said that the priestess then rolled the girl back and forth on the floor, causing the ultimately fatal injuries.
Baque was pronounced dead after authorities responded to a 911 call to the family's home on Greenpoint Avenue Saturday morning and found the 5-month-old unconscious.
A city medical examiner ruled the infant's death a homicide Sunday, saying the child died of abusive head trauma and had eight separate skull fractures.
Police said they were investigating the parent's story and that the mother and father were still being questioned by police.
Neighbors living in the building said that they often heard crying from the apartment, and that the parents would sometimes come and push the child around the hall in a stroller in hopes of getting her to stop crying.
Another 17-month-old child who lived in the home is in the care of the Administration for Children's Services.
"We are very concerned about this upsetting news and are investigating the circumstances of this tragic incident, along with the NYPD," the agency said.
The infant's parents were being questioned by police Tuesday afternoon,
No arrests have been made, and police say the investigation is ongoing.
