Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Another Brooklyn Child’s Life Hangs in the Balance

I found this article 0n CSB: Crime Scene Blog

Does it ever stop?

Can't I sign online one day and not have 50 stories of children abused, maimed, scarred for life or dead at the hands of abusers?


Another Brooklyn Child’s Life Hangs in the Balance


Just as we all prepare for the rally in New York July 20, 2008 in memory of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, another young girl from Brooklyn lies in a hospital bed, thanks to the man in her mother’s life.

Three-year-old Elea-cha Oliver Ragoo is in critical condition, with severe head trauma, after being almost killed by her mother’s boyfriend. Anthony Merritt, 24, is currently being held without bond, charged with assault and child endangerment.

The story is an all-too-familiar one. Elea-cha’s mother, Nadieh Lawrence left her two children, 3-year-old Elea-cha and an 11-month-old baby in the care of her boyfriends, Anthony Merritt. Elea-cha was not feeling well, and he decided to give her some yogurt to help soothe her stomache. This proved to be a mistake because she threw up the yogurt, something that evidently upset Merritt.

He grabbed the child and shook her roughly, then took her into the bathroom to clean her up. While he dunked her in the bathtub to get her clean, her head banged against the faucet. When he felt he had her clean enough, he threw her body onto her bed, hitting her head again, this time on a hard plastic toy.

Her complaints of pain went unheeded, as he sat and pondered what to do next. Hours later, he finally called 9-1-1 and medics arrived to find the child suffering severe head trauma, including a subdural hematoma. After receiving emergency surgery, she is still in critical condition and most likely will have brain damage as a result of the shaking and blows to the head.

Nadieh is keeping a vigil by her child at the hospital, while she probabaly agonizes over what happened.

Meanwhile Merritt’s mother, Ann, defended her son.



She told reporters, “My son loves children.”


Link to this article-


CSB: Crime Scene Blog » Blog Archive » Another Brooklyn Child’s Life Hangs in the Balance

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I knew Eleacha personally and I am telling you anyone who new her feel in love with her right away. She had so much spunk and was so smart and a joy to be around. I am just sadden that my dear Eleacha passed away on July 2nd 2008. I was praying and hoping that her fighting spirit would have brought her through but god had another plan for her. Eleacha would always be loved and missed.

I hold the mother to blame because she new the boyfriend was abusive and abusing the kids. If a man can beat you he will do the same to your kids especially if the kids are not his. Her neighbors said that they saw him smack and beat her several times in the building. The father reported the mother to ACS of possible abuse due to marks found.

The messed up part is that a lot of people are saying that the father should just have went an got his daughter. However we all know how the system works and how some females are. The mother would have called the cops and said he kidnapped the kids and forced him to take them back and possibly even have gotten arrested. What do we do for a system that takes to long to take action and does not allow us to take matters into our own hands.

She should just have allowed her kids to go stay with their father but she wanted to be spitful instead. The father was schedule for a custody hearing a week after she died. Once again ACS/child agencies were too little too late.

The problem today is that we as women need to know when to put our personnal feelings aside when it comes to our kids. Eleacha father loved her with all his heart she was his other half and would never have let anything happen to her but because the mom wanted to be spitfull allowed a stranger to watch her kids before she would have let the father do it and know their daughter is longer with us.

When are we as women going to take responsibilty and become mature enough to put pride and vengence aside to not allow any harm to the one person or individuals that look up to us, our children come to them.

Anonymous said...

I am Elea-cha's Aunt, and I thank you you for the truth. As I read this I began to feel that pain all over again. But I will never forget my niece, I miss her and I will always love her. She was and still is a blessing in the sky. I only pray all the truth will come to light and all will be taken care of. Stay blessed..

Zoey said...

I am so sorry for your pain!

I know that won't help but I grieve with you.. and will pray for your strength to go on.

Louise

Anonymous said...

Hello, Mr Merritt was charged with 2nd degree Murder..he is due back in court in October..My question is what is the mother being charged with? Neglect? I am not god but I do pray that justice will be served..

Anonymous said...

the father never show up for his visit that day so anthony was left to watch them while she went to workEveryone is blaming the mother because she work 2jobs to support her 2 childrens where was the father he was not helping the mother support his children he denied his son the father beat up the mother in front of the children ever since mother got and order protect against the father of her children the father mother who name is catherine maureen ragoo and the sister natasha who they call nicole retaliate on the mother by treat both off her job when to her apartment took all the children clothes furniture and all her food from her brownville apartment gave the mother no choice but to find help from a person who she thought she could trust anthony merritt he was the only person offer and hand and she took the offer by help watch her kids when she was at work the father and his family was too busy trying to destroy the mother and not knowing the more you make it hard for her as a mother the harder it will be for her to support her 2 children the father and his mother went and file a petition on the mother for custody the jugde gave the father visitation on the weekend for 4hrs most off the time was late nadich lawrence is a very hard working mom she support father she is the head of the houseold all the father does is steal her money get high around the kids play video game all day wild the mother work 7 days aweek 78hours on june 21 the day baby girl was rush to hospital the father had a visit he never show up he was too busy in great adventures has the bible said only god could judge nadich lawwrence is a very strong person and yes she has very strong support team at the end off the day anthony merritt is a murder and cathrine maureen boneo is also a murder by manipulate the situation

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonyms
This is Nicole and if you please don’t be shy to state your name if you feel you know so much of this situation. First of all how dear you accuse my mother you must have lost your mind. I pray for people like you. Know what the hell you are posting before you write shit.
For your info Nadiche lived with my mother for almost 5years, ask her why was she there? Did my mother treat her like a daughter? Ask her who threw her a baby shower? Ask her did my mother buy her coat to put on her back! Ask her if she ate food every day ask her if she had a roof over her head you have no idea...
You’re talking shit about my brother; feel free to it’s her words against his. Like you said god knows everything and he will be the judge. You think that he was a dead beat I can except that as long as you can over understand that Nadiche also left her kids for weeks with their father, how is this true because my mother you called a murder was working two jobs and so was Elea at the time, my mother Catherine came to help out every night. She was never home. Get your shit straight. You can be her friend or family member I could care less.
To be clear my mother and brother went to the courts to get custody of these kids before all this shit hit the roof. Did she also tell you that all that furniture they took was mine, hello I gave it to my brother your buddy had nothing in that apartment. So to be clear the food the clothes comment is bull crap.
Also for your BS story about my brother going to Great adventure and did not go get those kids another story. Ask your friend why did she tell her friend s to tell Elea that Ele-cha was sick and they were not coming for the weekend? She knows who I am talking about.
All these BS accusations get your shit together before posting your story. You can call me whatever you can say what you want about my brother but my mother keep her F******* name out your mouth.
She loves those kids Elea-cha was her heart and still is. You have any idea the grief? My mother loved her like she was her own and Nadiche knows this. Don’t hide behind walls get your story straight.
You have a mother and I am sure you have family turn the tables around and see how it feels.. How dear you! You are not god nor are you anyone with any character class or morals.
If Elea was such a nasty person why did she stay around for so long? Why has a second baby by him?
As for calling her job you really don’t know me you are as petty as you sound. Get proof don’t hear one side of a story and write shit.
Ask Nadiche if we ever had beef until this? Ask her if we loved Elea-cha? Ask her if Elea loved her? Are you kidding me... you guys blame us your NUTTS.
Nadiche knows she did not need to call Elea all she had to do was call my mother to watch those kids.
She always did before but she was pissed off that my mother wanted custody. See I can get real nasty and tell you some shit but I am better than you that I know. Question you get a phone call your child is not responding what do you do? CALL 911 or are you that stupid also? Why did it take so long for you to call 911? Like I said I can get nasty but you know what you guys are below my standards. My niece is gone forever the man who killed her is locked up. My nephew is a gem and he is happy...And guess what your still loser for being so disrespectful...has a nice life...

Anonymous said...

and another thing who taking care of these kids while she works so hard?

Anonymous said...

Yes dread. You really need to get your facts straight before responding. Some of the things you are claiming are so far gone it would be crazy to comment on it all, but if I mention just 1 thing, it puts holes in your entire story, which means your words have no merit here, in court or life.

Furthermore, I am not understanding why the "person who she thought she could trust", "the only person offer and hand". So you mean to tell me the person she could trust and the only one to offer a hand was practically a total stranger... ABOVE HER OWN FAMILY. You are so busy trying to put light on neglect of my Aunty and my cousin as if somehow that is all Nay had. Where was her own Mother and family to offer a hand... Are you MAD!!!!

Lastly. I do hope before responding you take up an English course of sorts, that way if you are going to communicate incorrect info, for the very least, it should be well written.

Get an education first, then a life 2nd, A clue third.. and lastly get your facts straight.

Slim goodie said...

To who ever this is u dont kno anything so pleaae mind ue bizz because if u new anything u would no wats the truth ellie was mother and father who u think toom her to school every morning who picked her up from school who feed her bath her did homework put her 2 bed her father did like u said she worked 2 jobs so tell me when she had time or her kids okay I have a son for the father he may not be the best person to be in a relationship in but when it comes to his kids I give him that he is the best father so before u come on here bashing him how bout u find the truth out she a bad mother out of spit she kept those kids away she told him,not to call police when it happrn so tell me wat type of mother is that u up here talking bout some six flags yes he went but he never denied his visit at the end of the day both mother and step father was putting they hands on her on a 3 year old but u up here tryna make her sound good just kill ur self for even writing this

Slim goodie said...

To who ever this is u dont kno anything so pleaae mind ue bizz because if u new anything u would no wats the truth ellie was mother and father who u think toom her to school every morning who picked her up from school who feed her bath her did homework put her 2 bed her father did like u said she worked 2 jobs so tell me when she had time or her kids okay I have a son for the father he may not be the best person to be in a relationship in but when it comes to his kids I give him that he is the best father so before u come on here bashing him how bout u find the truth out she a bad mother out of spit she kept those kids away she told him,not to call police when it happrn so tell me wat type of mother is that u up here talking bout some six flags yes he went but he never denied his visit at the end of the day both mother and step father was putting they hands on her on a 3 year old but u up here tryna make her sound good just kill ur self for even writing this