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4-Year-Old Bronx Boy Dead as Investigators Look Into Possible Rat Poisoning

By  Gustavo Solis and Eddie Small | April 29, 2014 4:01pm | Updated on April 29, 2014 7:33pm

  A 4-year-old boy may have eaten rat poison before becoming fatally ill Sunday afternoon, police said.
A 4-year-old boy may have eaten rat poison before becoming fatally ill Sunday afternoon, police said.
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DNAinfo/Eddie Small

THE BRONX — Police are investigating the death of a 4-year-old boy who may have eaten rat poison over the weekend, sources said.

Juan Sanchez began foaming at the mouth about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, prompting his mother to call 911, an NYPD spokesman said.

The boy's mom, Migdelia Morales, told CBS New York that she spent Sunday morning in the park with all five of her sons. When the family returned to the apartment building, she saw Juan drink from a beer can that had been left in the hall, the news channel reported.

She said she made pancakes for the child to absorb the alcohol, but about noon the boy began having trouble breathing and she called for help, according to CBS.

When paramedics arrived at the apartment on Tinton Avenue and East 163rd Street, the boy was unconscious. He was immediately taken to Lincoln Hospital and was later transferred to Columbia-Presbyterian, the spokesman.

He died Monday morning at Columbia-Presbyterian, the Daily News reported.

Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, but the cause and manner of the boy's death has yet to be determined, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Both of the child's parents were interviewed by detectives, who do not suspect foul play, according to the News.

The Administration for Children's Services was also investigating the case, according to spokesman Christopher McKniff. Although he would not go into specifics about the investigation, he said that ACS generally tries to ensure the safety of any remaining siblings involved with the situation.