10-Year-Old Bludgeoned To Death By Mom's Boyfriend; Boy Had Broken Ribs, Lacerated Liver And Kidney

A Harlem man has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend's 10-year-old son, who was found bludgeoned to death.

Ryan Kato was arrested Sunday after Ayden Wolfe was found dead with severe injuries, both new and old, all over his body at Saint Nicholas Houses in NYC on Saturday afternoon, New York Post reported.

Ayden had fatal injuries that included a lacerated spleen, a lacerated liver, kidney, fractured ribs on both sides, and bruise between his toes, NY Daily News reported. Kato had earlier been arrested for domestic violence, including a charge for choking the mother of his children.

Police said there were possibilities that the child was also sexually abused.

“I’m never going to be able to forget this,” a police officer who attended the scene told The Post. “That kid went through a lot. It wasn’t the first time, and it didn’t just happen yesterday,” the officer said.

Ayden's mother called 911 around 2 pm Saturday after he was found unresponsive.

Kato had then told police that he heard a banging on the family’s front door and when he opened it, he found the boy unresponsive and sitting propped against it. He then soaked the boy in cold water in an attempt to revive him. The child was then taken to Harlem Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Neighbor Destiny Rogers said that hours before the emergency services arrived, she heard someone shouting from the boy's apartment. Rogers said since she was wearing headphones, it wasn't exactly clear from where the sound came.

“I just raised my headphone really quickly, but I didn’t hear anything that was alarming to me that would draw me to start worrying. Nothing at all. So just called the elevator and I walked out,” Rogers said.

“He was kind of an introverted child. When his mother would speak to him, it was almost scary. When the mother would speak to him, he would clench and become quiet. She would be a little loud and using some profanity with him. I have never seen a man or a father with them. They’ve been here almost 3 and a half years,” another neighbor Judynell Groce, a retired teacher, added.

According to police sources, the boy’s mother was also being questioned. The Medical Examiner has not determined the exact cause of death yet and the autopsy is expected to be conducted soon.

The community, reeling from the shock, rallied outside the apartment Sunday to pray for the boy.