Harlem Boy Bludgeoned, Possibly Sexually Abused By Stepfather

Authorities arrested a man in Harlem on Sunday in connection to the death of a 10-year-old boy.

New York Police Department said the boy's stepfather, 34-year-old Ryan Cato, has been charged with murder and endangering a child's health.

Ayden Wolfe, 10, died after being discovered unresponsive in a Harlem apartment on Saturday with "extreme" bruises and lacerations, including alleged sexual assault according to New York Post.

Around 2:20 p.m., officers responding to an altercation call discovered the boy in an apartment on W. 131st Street near Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

The child's stepfather told police he heard pounding on the family's front door. According to investigators, the boy was found unconscious in a living room of a fourth-floor apartment at the Saint Nicholas Houses.

According to reports, the boy's mother dialed 911 while his stepfather tried to revive him by soaking him in ice water.

Cops interrogated the boy's mother and Cato, though the mother's cousin denied they were together.

The boy's death left his neighbors in a state of shock. The neighbors said that the 10-year-old boy was "a little angel" who never made "a peep."

At a vigil outside the victim's house on Sunday afternoon, a parent said the boy was "extremely smart, super clever" and a "happy" kid who liked video games.

The aunt, known only as Jennifer, said the "that boy was everything to [his mother]."

When asked about the unfortunate young victim, neighbors in the building said the child was well-behaved. Ayden never makes any noise, according to the woman, who did not want to be named.

Destiny Rogers, another resident, said he heard a male shouting at someone about noon Saturday, referring to noise emanating from the dead boy's apartment.

"I would have brought it to my father's attention, asked him to knock on the door, something. I don't know. Just to listen out to tell if someone is in distress. That's the human thing to do," he said.

Judynell Groce, a retired teacher who lives next door, said Ayden was an introverted child. When the mother spoke, her 10-year-old son clenched his fists and became still, she said.

Tyrone Ball, the tenant association's head, encouraged residents to check on their neighbors if they hear anything unusual.

He said the walls are thin enough that neighbors can hear an infant being beaten. "It takes a village to raise a child, but the village failed," Ball added.