Report: A troubling prelude to a small boy's death

A review of the August death of a child found fault with hospital workers in their handling of an earlier incident involving the child's brother.

The review said Department of Human Services workers were "misinformed by the ambiguity of the medical information provided," when the little boy was admitted to the hospital.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Jamil Baskerville was killed trying to defend his mother from an abusive boyfriend, authorities say.

The little boy started crying as he heard his mother and her boyfriend, Zacchery Tricoche, arguing. Tricoche, 24, went over to Jamil and hit him, sending him into a wall. Tricoche then told the boy to put his fists up and fight before striking him a second time, killing him, authorities say.

Tricoche was charged with murder and is being held on $1 million bail pending trial.

A review of Jamil's death, released this week, shows that his younger brother had been the subject of an abuse investigation by the Department of Human Services 20 days earlier. Caseworkers who spoke to hospital staff at the time determined the home was safe for both boys and their sister but subsequent interviews with hospital staff show the injuries could have been abuse.

The Act 33 Team, which reviews child deaths in Philadelphia, wrote in the report that the brother's injuries, initially described as accidental, were more likely caused by abuse. They faulted hospital staff with not communicating more clearly with caseworkers and DHS for not completing a DHS nurse consult before the boy was discharged.

While DHS followed protocol, the report found that "being told that the injuries could have been accidental complicated the investigation."

"If there had been more of a concern about the likelihood of abuse from the beginning they probably would have been more aggressive," chief medical examiner Sam Gulino, who chairs the Act 33 committee said.

On Aug. 2, Jamil's brother, who is not named in the report, was admitted to St. Christopher's Hospital with a bump on his head and a potential bruised rib. His mother said the boy fell from a high chair.

Hospital staff told DHS the mother's explanation for the injuries was possible but that they were concerned due to her "flat affect," and the extent of the injuries, according to the report. The boy stayed in the hospital for four days while DHS interviewed the mother and visited the home, which was found to be safe.

Two days after the boy was discharged, a DHS nurse reviewed the medical information and said physical abuse could not be ruled out. She said further examinations were needed, according to the report.

(After Jamil's death a doctor from St. Christopher's who reviewed the medical information told the Act 33 team that the younger brother's skull fractures could not have been caused by a single fall from a high chair unless the child had an underlying bone disorder.)

St. Christopher's issued a brief statement, saying, "when cases of concern are identified, we report them to and work collaboratively with the appropriate child protective service agencies. Protecting the safety and security of our patients is a top priority."

From Aug. 8 on, DHS would try and fail to make contact with the family multiple times. The caseworker called, knocked on the door and dropped a letter off at the home from the law department compelling the family to cooperate with the investigation

She never made contact and the family eventually relocated to New Jersey.

"If you follow the social worker she really was on top of it and was even going to the Law Department. We were engaged with this family and we were working with them," DHS Commissioner Cynthia Figueroa said. Had abuse been indicated, clearly, early on, Figueroa said the approach might have been more aggressive.

"I think what's important to note is that there wasn't any indication in both the incident that happened to the sibling or the visit to the home that there was any kind of domestic violence," Figueroa said. "There hadn't been any particular red flags we could have assessed until the death of the older sibling surfaces."

That notice came on Aug. 21.

According to authorities, Tricoche and his girlfriend started fighting over groceries at the home they relocated to in Pennsauken. Tricoche shoved the woman and Jamil started to cry. That's when Tricoche turned on him.

Jamil's death was ruled cardiac arrest brought on by trauma to the chest and back.

His brother and sister were removed from the home and taken in for medical examinations, which "revealed old and new bruises," according to the Act 33 report.

According to the report the siblings are in foster care in New Jersey.

A pre-trial hearing for Tricoche is scheduled for Feb. 6 in Camden.

jterruso@phillynews.com

215-854-5506

@juliaterruso