The mother of a 2-year-old boy who died after falling from a third-floor window in Hartford last month has been charged with manslaughter in connection to his death and made a brief court appearance Thursday.
Emergency crews responded to the 1000 block of Capitol Avenue around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 22 after 2-year-old Corneliuz Williams fell and officers found the little boy with serious injuries. He was transported to Connecticut Children's and died two days later.
Investigators said 34-year-old Tabitha Frank had left five children between the ages of 2 and 12 unattended in the apartment, which was in deplorable and uninhabitable condition, and officials believe a screen fell out of the window and then the child fell.
Police said Frank told them she left to go to a store to buy necessities.
Frank was initially charged with 10 counts of risk of injury to a minor -- two counts of risk of injury per child and one for suspicion of leaving them unattended and one for the alleged condition of the apartment, according to officials.
She was later charged with manslaughter and there was a brief court appearance Thursday morning. She is due in court on Aug. 10 for a bond hearing.
Several of Frank’s relatives were in court, Thursday wearing T-shirts that say, “It Takes a Village,” and they said there are two sides to this story.
“As a whole, my sister needed a village of people and her village failed her as a whole,” Frank’s sister, Hera Noel, said.
“Childcare was on its way, they just never made it,” Noel added.
Community advocate Rev. Sam Saylor said the wrong picture has been painted regarding Frank’s ability to take of her children.
“She went to work to survive and support her children because no one else would,” Saylor said.
In the arrest warrant, officers who responded to the home last month described the conditions of the apartment and said they found bugs, moldy food, curdled liquids and trash and the odors of human waste in the home.
Frank’s attorney, Wesley Spears, said the state Department of Children and Families failed the family.
DCF said the last visit to the apartment was in mid-June, more than a month before the tragic death of Corneliuz.
"This is a horrible tragedy and much information is still being learned about the family as we conduct a joint investigation with the Hartford Police Department. We recognize differences of opinion may exist regarding what happened, the conditions in the home, and the children's well-being. The last report was received on the family in April 2023. The last visit occurred in mid-June - over one month prior to the fatality - and based on the information known at that time, the children were deemed safe and the home was observed to be adequate. The circumstances surrounding this traumatic incident highlight the complexities of child protective services work, how quickly conditions in a home can change, and the importance of everyone in the community knowing who to contact if they are concerned about a child's welfare," a DCF spokesperson said in a statement.
Frank's family said the other children are with relatives.
Donations are being collected at All Faith Memorial Chapel in South Windsor for Corneliuz’s funeral service.
He is described as a happy little boy, who loved music, Micky Mouse and pasta.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the HPD Tip Line at (860) 722-TIPS.
