A tragic incident in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has left a community shocked after police say a man beat his 6-year-old stepson to death with a metal bat. The young man, Jathan Escobar, was hospitalized with severe brain damage and placed on life support before being pronounced dead Wednesday.
Jathan’s family spoke with WFSB-TVremembering the boy as someone who always radiated happiness. “No matter what was going on, he was always so happy with everyone,” said his cousin, Sasha Heron.
Police arrested the boy’s stepfather, Abdulrahim Sulaiman, 38, charging him with murder under special circumstances. According to authorities, Sulaiman allegedly attacked his wife and children in their Main Street apartment on September 25, using a metal bat during the brutal assault. Jathan’s mother, who was also attacked, screamed for help during the horrific incident.
When the police arrived, they immediately performed CPR on the young man, but the severity of his injuries was devastating. Officers reported seeing brain matter through a head injury inflicted by the bat.
Jathan’s mother, 33, told the police that he had only known Sulaiman for about a year and that the two had been married for a few months. He also claimed that Sulaiman had recently been smoking PCP and had become increasingly violent.
Sulaimán, who has a violent criminal history and was on parole at the time of the attack, was initially set on $1 million bail. However, after the boy’s death and the charges escalated to murder, bail was raised to $10 million.
“He was always very happy and enjoyed life completely,” shared Jathan’s cousin, Sasha Heron, heartbroken by the loss. The tragedy has left the family and community mourning the senseless death of an innocent child.