An arrest has been made in connection with the death of a 3-year-old boy in Troy this weekend.
The Troy Police Department says Daquan Parker of Schenectady has been arrested following the death of Mayjor Douglas, 3. He's identified by the police as "an acquaintance of the mother" of Douglas. Parker has been charged with second degree murder and was arraigned this morning in Troy city court.
Douglas' family was overwhelmed with emotion after the child's death, yelling and sobbing as Parker was brought into the courtroom. The judge asked us to withhold the audio.
Police say Parker was babysitting the child at Corliss Park Apartments in Troy when first responders were called following a report of a child in cardiac arrest. Douglas was transported to two hospitals for "further treatment" but according to police, the boy "died as a result of injuries he sustained at the hands of another."
Police say Parker was nowhere to be found.
We’ve also reviewed documents filed in 2017 in Schenectady, where Parker was arrested for menacing and criminal obstruction of breathing after allegedly choking a female adult victim.
Assistant Chief Dan DeWolf says this is an emotional case for his officers, and calls this a tragedy that didn’t need to happen.
"You have a range of emotions," he said. "You’re sad and then you’re angry and then you’re actually a little bit happy that we made the arrest, but it doesn’t last very long, because you go back to thinking about poor Mayjor here, and the fact that he is deceased now and maybe could have had a wonderful life ahead of him."
Parker pleaded not guilty. He’s being held without bail.
"We’re glad we’re able to get this guy off the street and put him in jail where he belongs," DeWolf said. "Now the process starts to hopefully convicting him."