Mother accused of strangling toddler to death

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A mother is under arrest accused of strangling her 2-year-old son to death in Queens.

Prosecutors say 29 year-old Afriyie Gaspard now admits she put her hands around her toddler's neck.

When he started crying uncontrollably, she allegedly told detectives that her two year-old son Izayah was kicking, and screaming.

And that she strangled him until he stopped.

Her relatives are distraught. Stefanie Gaspard told reporters that her sister has five children ranging in age from nine to nine months. And is incapable of hurting any one of them.

Police say it happened on Friday afternoon.

That the child was rushed to New York Hospital, Queens when his mother called 911 to say her son had stopped breathing.

An autopsy later confirmed that Izayah had been strangled.

Prosecutors say Afria Gaspard admits she left her child in his crib after he had stopped crying, and returned after 45 minutes to discover he had stopped breathing.

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new york city, child death, queens, new york news, n.j. burkett

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