EXCLUSIVE: Tiles fall onto baby during bath, injuring his face in Harlem

ByCeFaan Kim, Eyewitness News WABC logo
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Exclusive: Baby injured by falling tile in bathroom, mother says
CeFaan Kim has the exclusive story.

HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- A baby's routine bath led to a trip to the ER for one family in Harlem.

The baby's mother told Eyewitness News exclusively that it happened on Tuesday night and she blames building management.

"My son could have been dead. Anything could have happened," said Magdalena Castillo, mother.

An emotional Magdalena clutched her baby boy a little bit tighter now after his routine bath took an unexpected turn.

3-month-old Tafari Young is all smiles and giggles now, but that was not the case on Tuesday

"I had laid him flat, and as soon as I laid him flat everything just dropped down," Magdalena said.

She says tiles in her bathroom suddenly fell off the wall.

The ceramic broke and sprayed all over little Tafari's face.

"It just happened like so quick. It fell. And I was like, 'Oh my God,'" Magdalena said. "And that's when it just shattered and I just, first instinct was just call 911."

The baby was bruised above his mouth and his cheek.

Magdalena lives in the Savoy Park complex in Harlem.

She says she's been complaining for years to her landlord about the deteriorating conditions, but this time, it's gone too far.

The baby's aunt says given the water damage you can see on the other side of the bathroom wall, what if the whole wall came crashing down?

"A happy little boy, but that bruise don't belong there," said Jennifer Castillo, the baby's aunt. "That bruise don't belong there. It wasn't his fault."

A spokesperson from building management says they are looking into the matter.

In the meantime, Magdalena says giving her baby a bath will never be the same.

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