Teen who brutally beat baby charged with murder

A teen taken into police custody after a 9-month-old baby he was caring for was found dead last week, allegedly confessed to beating the baby to death.

Police sources said Martin Quirindongo, 17, “confessed on tape to hitting, biting and crushing the child,” and was “remorseful” when he was brought into custody on Tuesday. “He never denied striking the kid. He confessed to 9-1-1,” a police source said.

Police said that when the baby’s mother, 32-year-old Rosa Ferrer, left her son, Ryan Ferrrer, in Mr. Quirindongo’s care on the morning of May 3, she expected the baby’s regular sitter to arrive shortly to take over caring for the infant. 

Within an hour, Mr. Quirindongo was on the phone with 9-1-1, pleading for an ambulance to get to the ninth floor apartment of the Marble Hill Houses, at 69 W. 225th St. The teen, who was on parole for robbery, was taken into custody at the scene.

“It’s terrible. Her mother died of cancer last year and now this. She’s got no one else,” a police source said.

Ryan was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center after police discovered him with blunt force injuries to the chest and a bruised rib cage. The medical examiner determined that Ryan suffered brain hemorrhaging and internal bruising. 

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled  Ryan’s death a homicide and Mr. Quirindongo was charged with murder with depraved indifference and manslaughter with intent to cause physical injury. 

After his arrest, Mr. Quirindongo was taken on May 4 from the 50th Precinct station house to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for psychiatric evaluation. 

“After learning that the baby died and that he would be charged with murder he became very distraught,” Deputy Inspector Brandon del Pozo said.

As of press time, Mr. Quirindongo was expected to remain at Bellevue at least until Wednesday morning, at which point he will be taken to Bronx Criminal Court for arraignment, a source from the Bronx District Attorney’s office said.