Aunt tried to remove 4yr old from home prior to his death

The electrocution of a four year old preschooler on Monday at first blush was an open and shut case. But his aunt has been sounding the alarm to the authorities that while the child was killed by a faulty cord when he was shocked, his life was in a different kind of danger. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has this report.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
An illegal electricity connection and a faulty fan cord were all it took for four year old Jovian Tillett to die from electric shock. His aunt, Nerisa McKoy, says that there is more to the tale than that which has been told about his life in the Junesville area behind the complex building.

Nerisa Mckoy, Aunt of Jovian Tillett
“Jovian mi wah live wid my mother fi two years; January mi wah mek it two years. When ih start preschool, we decided to give him back to Tricia. Since di ending ah August, I bring ah myself from my ma and bring ah back to Tricia. I mi di baby sit him till end ah September. Me and she had wah misunderstanding and ih mek dis bwai baby sit my nephew. I noh know dis bwai from Adams and she noh know dis bwai from Adams because dis wah mek it three months ih know dis bwai.”

Jose Sanchez
“So only three months, he’s not a step-father.”

Nerisa McKoy
“No, three months noh mek he wah stepfather and ih wah chose dis bwai fi mind ah. I gone deh di mek lot ah noise. I tell ah Tricia, ker dis baby dah wah daycare, ker ah dah wah daycare. Daycare deh right cross from pre-school.”

Kenneth Mortis, Training Officer, Fire Department
“Whether illegal connections be made from BEL’s high tension wires or from the domestic home itself, it’s not a safe practice. These power lines from BEL send hundreds and thousands of watts of electricity to your home. It is then broken down and distributed through your breaker panel and your outlet. It’s not a safe practice for no one to be doing. The risk of shock is there and like I said earlier, the risk of potential loss due to fire is greater. It is not something that we recommend and probably the department will have a conference with BEL to see how best we can address the public with regards to this mal-practice that they are practicing.”

Jose Sanchez
“Incident with this child that was electrocuted is very sad. Was there also a risk for fire?”

Kenneth Mortis
“The risk was there for fire. Like you mentioned, it was sad indeed. The child was only four years old. Exactly how he managed to succumb to the electricity is yet to be answered. I mean people are saying this, people are saying that. I don’t want to be speculating on what happened, but the risk of fire was there and it’s just a sad loss for him and his family.”

But the loss is not one that his aunt is willing to ignore. She believed he should have been removed from the home. She made reports to the authorities about injuries on his body.

Jose Sanchez
“You noticed something was wrong with your nephew. What did you see?”

Nerisa McKoy
“Two weeks dis boy di mind my nephew, ih eye black and blue, ih teeth missing, ih scrape up and he said ih drop off ah wah step. I gone dah Police Station, I gone dah social; I noh get no response, no phone call no nothing from them. I even gone dah Youth for the Future dah Douglas Hyde. I text Douglas Hyde again when my nephew mi deh dah hospital and I tell ah unnu please help me get my nephew dah my ma. Ih seh he can’t get in deh. Social noh do nothing and dehn finally call me yesterday fi tell me dat dehn sorry my nephew dead. Now, ih dead now nobody cant do nothing.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you think those bruises came from natural causes or you think he was hurt?”

Nerisa McKoy
“I don’t know. You can put two and two together, something smell really funny. Ih smell really funny.”

Jose Sanchez
“Have you made a report to the police?”

Nerisa McKoy
“Yes, I have.”

Jose Sanchez
“What did they say. Are they going to investigate?”

Nerisa McKoy
“Nothing, di officer dat there, dehn dah friend. I neva know dehn dah friend until she reach di house and dehn dah friend.”

Jose Sanchez
“A woman gave an interview on another station claiming to be his grandmother. Was that his grandmother?”

Nerisa McKoy
“No, the woman eena di picture dah ih real grandmother. Di one weh potty train ah, di one weh sing to ah dah night, di one weh mind ah when ih mi sick; dat dah ih grandmother. I gone dah Social and I ask di lady I seh how unnu or she could mek somebody weh she noh even know baby sit her son. She noh di hear di news? Ih noh di hear what di happen nowadays? And ih still yet mek dah bwai baby sit dah baby. You know weh di lady dah Social tell me? Ih seh dat as long as she choose he fi baby sit ah, ih no matter how long she know ah; dat dah her choice dat. Dat have to change.”

Jovian Tillett died as the result of electric shock, but the injuries prior to his death, showed he lived a tattered life. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.