Relatives dispute police report in drowning of toddler boy

Relatives of two-year-old Tauren McLennon are disputing the police report of how he tragically drowned in the Berbice River at Kwakwani on Wednesday.

According to the police report, the child’s mother Tamika Joaquin, 39, said the toddler went to the Berbice River shortly after 15:00 hrs Wednesday afternoon to take a bath and subsequently disappeared. The matter was later reported and a search was launched.

Two hours after he disappeared, Tauren’s body was found floating in the river. The child was taken to the Kwakwani Hospital and pronounced dead.

However, a relative told the News Room that Joaquin did not speak with the police until Thursday morning. The relative said the mother was in no state to speak to the police or anyone after her son’s body was found.

“It is not a case where she left her child or send him to the river to bathe, nothing like that.

“I can assure you that Aunty Tamika did not give any report to the police until this morning [Thursday]. The police cannot say she said that when they never spoke to her,” the relative explained.

The young child did not live far from the river. Joaquin operates a shop in the same yard and just before he went missing, Tauren was playing outside in the yard.

“He went outside to play in the yard and then he crossed over the road to play with his cousin. Just behind the house, the river is there,” the relative stated.

Joaquin had checked on the child and saw him playing in the sand. The second time, he was nowhere to be found.

His body was found two hours later downstream after search efforts by family and other residents.

“We took Tauren and we rushed him to the hospital, the doctors and the nurses they tried but it was too late, not long after they pronounced him dead,” the tearful resident told the News Room.

Since the tragic news broke, the family said hate comments has made the situation more difficult.

“This is just causing more pain to the mother, right now the mother is in the hospital. It is heart aching to see these things.”

The young boy was described as jovial.

“He was full of life, he was full of energy, always playing,” the relative said.