Death of Woodhaven baby ruled a homicide

Image via Google Maps.

By Jonathan Sperling

The death of a baby boy in Woodhaven has been ruled a homicide by investigators, four months after cops arrested the child’s father and accused him of causing the fatal injury.

Two-month-old Mason Sanchez was found unconscious in his Woodhaven home on Aug. 16, 2019 after police from the 102nd Precinct received a 911 call to a home on 88th Street. There, they found Sanchez unresponsive and rushed him to Jamaica Hospital. He was eventually brought to Long Island Jewish Cohens Children's Hospital, where he died two days later.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled Sanchez’s death a homicide on Dec. 28. An OCME spokesperson told the Eagle that a determination of Sanchez’s exact cause of death was still pending.

Two days after Sanchez died, police arrested the child’s father, 28-year-old Luis Sanchez. The elder Sanchez was charged with manslaughter and acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 years old.

At least one media outlet reported that cops believe Luis Sanchez shook the child. However, an NYPD spokesperson told the Eagle that there were “many different reports” regarding the cause of the baby’s death when an Eagle reporter called on Monday.