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Mother of Dead 3-Year-Old Boy Demands Answers at His Memorial Service

By Eddie Small | November 25, 2014 6:46pm
 Abe George, Ashley Ramirez and Oscar Ramirez (L-R) attended a memorial for Poseidon Quinones, Ashley Ramirez's son, at the Parkchester R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home on Tuesday.
Abe George, Ashley Ramirez and Oscar Ramirez (L-R) attended a memorial for Poseidon Quinones, Ashley Ramirez's son, at the Parkchester R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home on Tuesday.
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DNAinfo/Eddie Small

PARKCHESTER — The mother of a 3-year-old boy laid to rest Tuesday after he was killed by his step grandfather earlier this month is still looking for answers about how her son died at the hands of a family member.

Ashley Ramirez, 21, told reporters outside the memorial service that she wants to know why her son, Poseidon Quinones, who was beaten to death by Fernando Yensi, was placed in his paternal grandmother's home after the Administration for Children's Services had reportedly deemed her an unfit guardian a year earlier.

Friends and family gathered at the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home in Parkchester on Tuesday to remember little Poseidon, who they described as a friendly child who was always laughing and liked Batman and the Power Rangers.

"Poseidon loved motorcycles. Poseidon loved his family, loved his grandfather," said Julie Infante, a family friend.

Poseidon's grandmother Madeline Yensi received custody of him in mid-October, according to Benjamin Quinones, the child's father.

Quinones said he lost custody of Poseidon after getting kicked out of a homeless shelter, while the boy's mother Ashley Ramirez lost custody after getting in a domestic dispute with the father, according to her lawyer Abe George.

On Nov. 15, Poseidon was found unconscious in his grandmother's home and taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, and Poseidon's step-grandfather Fernando Yensi was arrested on Thursday and charged with manslaughter in his death, according to police and court documents.

A distraught Ramirez said that this would be the last day she got to see her son.

"He’s not going to be able to smile at me, tell me he loves me, touch me, hold me, kiss me, anything," she said through tears. "He was just ripped out of my life for no reason at all."

Ramirez met with the assistant district attorneys handling the case on Tuesday to remind them how important it was to hold everyone accountable over what happened to her son, George said.

They are especially interested in figuring out why ACS decided to place the child with his paternal grandmother in 2014 after deeming her not fit to take care of him in 2013, according to George.

“A year ago, ACS said this home was not a suitable place for Poseidon to be in, but a year later, they changed course,” said George. “That’s what she’s trying to find out.”

Ramirez said she was not thinking about filing a lawsuit against ACS at the moment but just wanted to figure out more about who was responsible for Poseidon's death.

“I’m trying to get justice for my son because the people that hurt my son need to pay for what they did to my baby,” she said “I’m not worried about no money. I’m just trying to make sure this doesn’t happen to anybody else’s kid.”

ACS declined to comment on the specifics of Poseidon’s case.

Fernando Yensi has pled not guilty to his charges. He is being held without bail and is due back in court on Nov. 26, according to the Bronx District Attorney's office.

Oscar Ramirez, Poseidon's maternal grandfather, said it was difficult for him to express how sad he felt now that his grandson was gone.

"I'm lost for words," he said. "I can't describe how much I loved him."