A Washington, D.C. mother continues to mourn the loss of her 1-year-old son after trusting her boyfriend to look after him and his siblings.
According to WRAL, Quise McCall returned to her home on Feb. 14 and found her son Torrance Adams choking and not breathing.
She called 911. Her boyfriend Michael Buchanan, 23, told first responders the child, known as YaYa, choked on a waffle, People reports.
However, after paramedics took the toddler to the hospital medical staff discovered that the back of his skull was fractured. Further, the fracture had led to bleeding on Torrance’s brain.
Buchannan was subsequently arrested on one count of intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
However, police have since charged him with murder, following Torrance’s death on Feb. 16.
Search warrant: Man accused of felony child abuse and murder of 22-month old Raleigh boy initially said the child “choked on a waffle”. #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/TyYr5OjIYl
— Ed Crump (@EdCrumpABC11) February 21, 2019
Earlier this month, Buchannan, McCall, and her three children moved from Washington, D.C. to their Raleigh, North Carolina townhouse where the incident occurred, People reports.
A neighbor who learned the news of Torrance’s death claims to have heard screaming coming from the apartment in the past, WRAL reports.
Neighbor Shelley Jackson said:
“I kept saying and telling them something was going on, but I didn’t know what it was. I’m just shocked. I just can’t believe it.”
Since the death of her son, McCall has returned to Washington, D.C., WTVD reports.
McCall has started a GoFundMe on behalf of herself and Torrance’s father. They are accepting donations to help with their son’s funeral and other expenses.
On the page, McCall wrote:
On Thursday February 14, 2019, a day about LOVE, our son TORRANCE LONZY ADAMS was met by nothing but pure hatred. He was assaulted by someone I put my trust in.
As CBS17 reports, Buchanan remains in custody at the Wake County Detention Center. His bond is set at $2 million. He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 7.