"It's really sad:" Police investigate homicide involving a child; baby boy's babysitter in custody

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating a homicide involving a child -- and the child's babysitter is in custody.

Officers were called to a residence in the area of N. 63rd Street and Bobolink Avenue at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 9th.

The victim, 20-month-old Laderreo Toliver-Burkett, was found to be suffering from numerous physical injuries. He was treated over the weekend, and police say the child died on Monday, January 12th.

The child’s babysitter, a 25-year-old Milwaukee man, has been taken into custody.

Paula Epps says she remembers seeing the emergency response near her home on Friday afternoon.

"I seen fire trucks, two fire trucks pulled up and then I seen an ambulance come and it was a whole chaotic kind of scene going on," Epps said.

Epps says she figured it was some kind of medical emergency, but says she never would've guessed paramedics were trying to save a critically injured baby.

"I couldn`t imagine someone doing that to one of my grandchildren. It`s sad. It`s really sad. My condolences to the family and I just say to people that they need to be more careful who they leave their children with, whether you know them or they`ve been a long-time friend or acquaintance, you really have to be careful," Epps said.

Epps says she once worked in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital, and she says this case brings back some terrible memories.

"If not shaken, abused by a babysitter, a boyfriend, a family member. It was sad and that was one of my decisions as to why I had to leave. I would go home every day crying," Epps said.

No one answered the door Tuesday at the child's home.

Neighbors say they didn't know the child's family all that well since the family recently moved in.

MPD will be presenting the case to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges in the coming days.