Jaevion is described as a sweet and respectful boy by the grieving mother.
Trigger Warning: This article contains graphic details that may be distressing to readers.
A 7-year-old boy lost his life after he suffered severe injuries at home, which authorities are calling "suspicious." On January 17 Jaevion Riley was found unconscious and not breathing at a Manchester, N.H., apartment. "He was initially treated in Manchester but because of the extent of injuries that he suffered and sustained, he was taken to a hospital in Massachusetts," said Peter Hinckley with the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, according to WMUR. The boy died after one week in a coma.
"The hospital described his injuries as torture, mutilation and brutalization," his mother Rainah Riley told NBC 10. Before his death, she called what happened to her son "absolutely gruesome." She said, "It is horrific, and it is sickening to look at. It makes me physically ill looking at my own son because of what this man did to him." She added, "It looks as if it's from boiling water or oil, or just straight, just, maybe set on fire." Describing the extent of his injuries she further added, "His tooth was kicked out, he has blunt force trauma to the head. This man was trying to kill my child."
Rainah Riley says her son has a brain injury, rib fractures and needed to be resuscitated twice. His biological father, 25yo Murtadah Mohammad (pictured below) is facing felony charges. pic.twitter.com/XeCbchAn3m
— Tim Callery (@TimCalWMUR) January 19, 2023
An autopsy is currently pending, according to a statement from the local Attorney General and the Manchester Police Department. The boy's father Murtadah Mohammad, 25, is charged with one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of falsifying physical evidence, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, per NBC 10.
Jaevion is described as a sweet and respectful boy by his mother who said she'd tried to get help for him months ago, but nothing was done. She got joint custody around that time and tried reporting signs of abuse, like bruising, to the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families.
TRAGIC UPDATE: 7yo Jaevion Riley has died, according to the New Hampshire AG’s office.
— Kirsten Glavin (@kirstenglavin) January 26, 2023
Jaevion’s biological father was arrested last week for allegedly beating his son into a coma & forcing him to shower in 153 degree water, burning 15-20% of his body. @NBC10Boston pic.twitter.com/sbLwqyw5pV
"I called for wellness checks on him when he was with him, for the bruising, and nobody did anything," Riley said. "The system has failed not only my child but so many children. And something needs to be done because this isn't OK. It's not. Like, when is enough 'enough?" she added.
Court documents state Mohammad told first responders that he had been in the shower when his son was hurt and did not see what happened. He later changed his story saying that he had used force and hot water as forms of discipline because he thought the 7-year-old boy was lying to him.
"Jaevion was taken from this world far too soon," Gov. Chris Sununu said in a written statement. "His tragic death will be thoroughly investigated, and I am confident that justice will be served."
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Manchester police at 603-668-8711. Anonymous tips can also be called into the Manchester Crimeline at 603-624-4040.
References:
https://www.wmur.com/article/manchester-boy-serious-injuries-dies/42660809
Cover Image Source: YouTube | WMUR-TV
