Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison for asphyxiating his seven-week-old son because the boy would not stop crying.

 

In the context of the case, Clark said, “This child had barely begun his life when his father cruelly ended it, placing pillows on top of the tiny boy until he couldn’t breathe.” The district attorney said the defendant, Teshawn Watkins, 31, of 3642 Holland Avenue in Williamsbridge, was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 11, to five to 10 years in prison and five years post release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Zimmerman.

 

The court heard that Watkins pleaded guilty on Dec. 5, 2023, to second-degree manslaughter in the killing of Kaseem Watkins, as well as to third-degree assault for hitting Kaseem’s mother, Cecilia Reyes, while she was pregnant with him. According to the prosecution team, the plea came during jury selection for Watkins’ trial. They said Reyes, the main witness, said she would not testify against Watkins.

 

According to the investigation, on Jan. 29, 2020, Watkins used pillows to “quiet” Kaseem because he would not stop crying, and the cause of death was found to be asphyxia from smothering.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Felicity Lung, deputy chief of the community justice bureau (formerly of the child abuse sex crimes bureau) at the District Attorney’s office, and Assistant District Attorney Michael Ainis of trial bureau 60 at the district attorney’s office.

 

Clark thanked Anthony Okaneme, community justice bureau program manager, Peter Kennedy, chief of technical investigations bureau, Selena Ley, digital forensic lab director  and Joao D’Alessandro, video unit supervisor, for their assistance. She also thanked NYPD Detective  Robert Regnier of the 47th Precinct squad and NYPD Detective Sean Butler of Bronx Homicide, now retired, as well as Police Officer Joseph Feger of Emergency Services Unit 3 for their work on the investigation.