A 7-week-old boy was fighting for his life last night after being viciously shaken and then dropped by his father in their Queens home, police sources said.
Mauricio Vasquez, 28, was arrested yesterday and charged with assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. The baby was in critical condition at North Shore Hospital.
Cops said Vasquez and the baby’s mother, who their landlord identified as Vanessa Ocampos, drove the injured child to Flushing Hospital around 2 p.m. Sunday. The infant was transported to North Shore, where doctors discovered severe internal and head injuries.
Neighbor Daniel Lara, 61, who visited Ocampos at the hospital today, said she told him the whole thing was an accident. “She had to wash dishes,” Lara said. “Mauricio was up carrying the baby. He was very tired and he dropped him.”
The couple’s landlord on 165th Street in Flushing said they were often feuding.
“He always has problems with his girlfriend. She would hit him,” said Paola Paredes, who rents the couple the basement apartment.
“They are always fighting and screaming.”
She said she has never heard the baby crying. “He showed me pictures and he said he loved him a lot. He really loved the child.”
Sources said Vasquez has no criminal record. Cops said there is no history of domestic violence.
Additional reporting by Eric Lenkowitz