Baby’s Brutal Beating Death Ruled a Homicide
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Auburndale resident Tina Torabi, 30, is charged with first-degree assault for allegedly beating her infant son. Facebook photo
By David Brand
The death of a 1-year-old who was brutally beaten inside her Auburndale home was deemed a homicide by the city’s chief medical examiner on Tuesday.
Elaina Torabi died in October 2018 as a result of “fatal child abuse syndrome,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson.
“The term ‘fatal child abuse syndrome’ is used when a child sustains injuries over a period of time,” Sampson said.
Elaina and her twin brother Kian were found with bruises and broken bones covering their bodies in October 2018. Police arrested their mother Tina Torabi, 30, and charged her with first-degree assault for allegedly beating Kian — but not Elaina.
“The defendant’s alleged actions are incomprehensible. Unfortunately, her 13-month-old son suffered greatly in his short life,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in October. “An investigation is ongoing with respect to the death of her daughter.
According to the criminal complaint, Torabi called 911 and reported that Elaina was unresponsive. EMS took Elaina to Flushing Hospital Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Other first responders at the home noticed that Elaina’s twin brother Kian had scratches and bruises in various stages of healing covering his body, according to the charges.
A few days after police arrested Torabi for her alleged role in the assault, her estranged husband Muhammad Torabi jumped to his death from a midtown Manhattan skyscraper.
“Many things could make you jump off a building,” Torabi’s attorney James Kousouros told the Eagle Tuesday. “One could be guilt over what you did to your children and to your wife. This is tragedy of monumental proportions.”
Kousouros told the Eagle in December that Torabi did not cause the injuries to the children.
On Tuesday, he said Torabi was “very stressed.”
“This is a very difficult situation for her,” he said. “I don’t think it gets any more tragic.”
Torabi is scheduled to return to court on Friday.
