Sixteen-month-old Nylah Lewis was with her biological father on Sunday, June 17 during a Father’s Day visit. Her mother Tammy Lewis, 17, dropped her off to spend quality time with him, in spite of the promises Shaquan Taylor, 18, made.
Christine Munford, Nylah’s aunt, told the New York Daily News, he threatened “to hit the baby if she brought [her] around. And [Sunday] he threatened her and said he was going to punch her in the face when she got there. And then obviously that happened.”
He also ranted on Facebook in February 2016:
“Feel mad disrespected. Told that lil b***h to get abortion (and) she tells me she is but still keep it. Exactly why I hate that lil b***h.
“I didn’t even want to have a baby by her (and) it’s sad to say, but f*** it, s*** happens.
“Please don’t ask who Nylah’s moms is nor do I still f*** with her cause NO,’ he wrote. ‘Just f***ed (that) hotty a**, that’s it.”
In July 2016, Lewis obtained a court order against Taylor to prohibit him from stalking or otherwise harassing her.
Taylor’s hate and rage came to life this past week when beat the poor baby unconscious. Nylah suffered two skull fractures, a brain bleed and bruising on her legs and other parts of her body.
Taylor commanded Lewis via a message on Facebook to come to his Coney Island apartment to get their daughter after she dropped her off. When Lewis arrived, Nylah was on the couch struggling to breathe. She grabbed her baby girl, ran from the apartment. Taylor chased her, knocked her out and she fell to the ground. She was in the apartment lobby unconscious. when Taylor’s friend called and ambulance, which then rushed her to Coney Island Hospital and later transferred to Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Nylah fought for her life for five days. She appeared to have suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen from being choked or by some other means. Taylor claimed she fell off the bed while he was in the shower.
She passed away on Friday, June 23.
Taylor is on Rikers Island, charged with second-degree assault. Debbie Silberman, a lawyer with Brooklyn Defender Services is representing Taylor.
Oren Yaniv, a spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney says, “We will seek to upgrade the charges in the grand jury.”
