NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A man was charged for allegedly hit his 23-month-old daughter in the head, causing a traumatic brain injury that led to her death, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez on Friday.
Robert Wright, 33, of Brownsville was charged with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.
Wright was released on $100,000 bail and is set to return to court on January 27, 2023.
According to the investigation, at approximately 10:30 a.m. on October 4, Wright hit his daughter in the back of the head with a closed fist in the Brooklyn home he shared with the child and other family members.
Wright later told investigators he had taken a nap with the child and hit her as he was waking up from a dream.
According to the investigation, the victim's mother returned home and observed that the child was lethargic. Family members later observed the child bleeding from the mouth.
The child was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where a scan revealed bleeding and swelling to the brain. The child went into cardiac arrest before being transferred to Cohen Children's Medical Center.
She was pronounced dead on October 5, one day before her second birthday.
The New York City Medical Examiner later determined the child had suffered a traumatic brain injury with the cause of death ruled to be blunt force impact to the head.
"A precious and innocent child was fatally injured, allegedly at the hands of the person responsible for nurturing and protecting her," District Attorney Gonzalez said. "My heart is with the little girl's family, and we will now seek to hold this defendant accountable."
