NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Queens grand jury indicted a 26-year-old man for allegedly beating his son to death in an Elmhurst shelter last month, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday.
Shaquan Butler beat his toddler while staying at the shelter based out of the Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst on Nov. 17, according to prosecutors.
FDNY found the boy unconscious on the floor with bruises all over his body.
EMS rushed the child to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A medical examination found the beating caused lacerations the the child's liver and internal bleeding.
A medical examination of one of the victim's younger siblings found the two-year-old had injuries consistent with child abuse.
Butler faces charges for murder, manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.
"This parent failed his primary duty as a protector, killing one of his own children by callous force and allegedly injured another," said Katz. "We will not forget this child. The defendant will be held fully accountable for his actions."
Butler's next court date is scheduled for Jan. 31.
He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years to life in prison if convicted.
