9-1-1 Call Released Of Man Asking For Help After Assaulting Two-Year-Old Child
NORTH MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - It is a disturbing call to 911. A man who is accused of taking the life of his girlfriend's two-year-old son calls for help after assaulting the child.
Police have released a nearly 12-minute long call to 911 that they say was made by 32-year-old Claude Alexis last week after he said he whipped Ezra Raphael with a belt because he spilled bathwater all over the floor.
During the call, the child clings to life as the dispatcher tries to help. Alexis tells the dispatcher, "I'm scared. I'm not sure. My son is throwing up."
Alexis wrongly identifies himself as the child's father. He later told North Miami Beach Police that he was left home alone with the child because the child's mother, his girlfriend, 22-year-old Cierrah Raphael, was turning tricks as a prostitute.
Alexis calls 911 from the home he shared with Raphael in North Miami Beach.
"I don't know," Alexis tells the dispatcher. "I put him on the bed. I thought he was sleeping. He just started throwing up by his mouth. Every time I blow in his mouth, it's like everything comes out of his nose."
"Is he awake?" asks the dispatcher.
"He's sleeping," says Alexis.
The dispatcher provides instructions.
"I need for you to turn him on his side and wipe away anything that's in his nose," she says.
"I did," Alexis responds.
Then the dispatcher asks again if the child is awake.
"I'm not sure ma'am," Alexis says.
Then the dispatcher asks, "What do you mean you're not sure?"
Alexis yells out, "Ezra. Ezra. Ezra." and then he says, "He's sleeping, I guess."
"Is he breathing?" asks the dispatcher.
"Yes, ma'am. A little bit," he says. "I tried everything. I threw water on him."
The 911 call is filled with instructions from the dispatcher.
"You are going to gently tilt his head back and pinch his nose closed," she says. "We're going to do mouth to mouth. You're going to blow two regular breaths into his lungs. Ok. About one second each. And you're going to look and see if the chest rises every time you blow a breath."
Alexis then says, "Its water coming out of his nose."
The dispatcher replies, "Turn him on his side quick."
Alexis can only yell out for the child.
"Ezra, Ezra, Ezra," he is heard saying on the call."
Then he says, "I don't know what the hell to do do, Ma'am. I'm just panicking right now. Wooh."
The dispatcher asks, "Is the baby responding at all?"
Alexis says, "No he's not responding. He's still sleep like he's knocked out.
Eleven and half minutes after the call is made, firefighter-paramedics arrive at the home at 15664 Northeast 10th Court.
Alexis is charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse. He appeared in court on Wednesday wearing a padded jumpsuit for those on suicide watch.
The child's mother is charged with child neglect and is being held on $7500 bond.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench spoke Thursday afternoon with the child's maternal grandmother. She told him she was grieving and too upset to speak.
