A 20-year-old man was arrested for causing the death of his girlfriend’s 16-month old son while he was babysitting the boy on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton on Sunday night, New York State police said.
Pedro Jones was charged with first-degree manslaughter. He hit the boy “several times throughout his body with closed fists” and grabbed him by the neck, according to the felony complaint filed by police.
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The child, Roy A. Jones, was was not related to the suspect, police said. The boy died at Southampton Hospital shortly after 9 p.m.
It was widely reported that Jones is not a member of the tribe but lives on the reservation.
Jones pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Monday at Southampton Town Justice Court. He is being held without bail at Suffolk County jail.
Additional charges and/or current charge may be upgraded pending the completion of the investigation, police said.
