Detectives cuffed a Bronx mom and her son Wednesday, nearly a year after they allegedly beat their 7-year-old daughter/sister to death last summer.
Julissia Batties’ bruised, lifeless body was found inside a Mitchel Houses apartment on Aug. 10, 2021. The young girl was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln where she was pronounced dead. The Medical Examiner’s office deemed Batties’ death a homicide caused by abdominal trauma from being struck with a blunt object.
On June 29, the NYPD arrested 36-year-old Navasia Jones, of Alexander Avenue in the Bronx, and her son, 18-year-old Paul Fine Jr. of East 31st Street in Brooklyn, for allegedly causing Batties’ death — something Jones vehemently denied in explicit terms.
“I didn’t kill my daughter, bitch,” Jones yelled at members of the media as she was escorted outside of the 40th Precinct stationhouse, followed a moment later by Fine Jr.
Both were charged with murder, manslaughter, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. Fine Jr. also faces assault and sexual abuse charges, while Jones has been additionally charged with failure to exercise control of a minor.
Julissia Batties’ father, Julius Batties, witnessed the perp walk, though he seems to believe justice has not yet been fulfilled.
Batties believes that while ACS failed his daughter by not offering the protection she deserved, he will see a modicum of justice now that the individuals allegedly responsible have been apprehended.
“I’m extremely excited for this process to be going on, for justice to be served. Just the process to be done and over with,” Batties said, “[ACS] definitely failed her first and foremost. A lot of things need to be done. [They failed her] by not protecting her. I don’t feel like my son was protected either because I still had to go through a long process waiting for my kids. I’m still dealing with that same process.”
While Batties still feels the stress and heartache of pursuing justice for his daughter, he looks forward to seeing Jones and Fine Jr. tried by a jury.
His message to those arrested: “You deserve what you get. I’m gonna make sure it’s going down,” Batties said.
“This is for my daughter. This is for my kids. Anything to support my kids I’m there,” Batties told amNewYork Metro.
Batties shared that he misses his daughter every single day, but her memory is what keeps him going forward.
“I miss her every day. I miss her all the time. She keeps me strong. So, this is why I am able to get through the process,” Batties said.
Although it’s been a long investigation, Batties plans on watching the arraignment process to be his daughter’s voice.
“It’s my job. I’m her voice and I ain’t never gonna shut up. It’s my job to be her voice,” Batties said, “The system failed everybody.”
Batties’ message to parents: “Pay attention to your babies. Keep them safe. Pay attention to them, listen to them.”
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