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Woman and 4-Year-Old Son Found Dead in Uptown Apartment, Police Say

By  Carolina Pichardo Danielle Tcholakian Murray Weiss and Jeanmarie Evelly | December 26, 2016 11:53am | Updated on December 26, 2016 4:03pm

 Felicia Barahona, 36, was found dead with her 4-year-old son Monday morning.
Felicia Barahona, 36, was found dead with her 4-year-old son Monday morning.
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Composite: DNAinfo/Carolina Pichardo; inset: Facebook/Felicia Barahona

HAMILTON HEIGHTS — A 4-year-old boy and his mother were found dead in an Uptown apartment, the mom with an electrical cord wrapped around her neck and the child drowned in a bathtub, officials and sources said.

Felicia Barahona, 36 — a former science teacher who lost her job for sleeping with a teenage student — was found about 8:15 a.m. Monday inside a West 153rd Street building near Riverside Drive, police said.

Her son, Miguel Barahona, was found facedown in the bathtub's water, according to sources. 

Barahona was a science teacher at DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx who was fired in 2012 after having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student and giving birth to their child that year, according to several reports.

The Department of Education did not reply to a request for comment and police could not confirm the reports.

Sources said Barahona was discovered Monday with an intact electrical cord wrapped around her neck. The cord was not attached to anything, there was no suicide note and no signs of forced entry at the scene, according to sources. 

Investigators are looking to speak with the father of 4-year-old Miguel, though he had not been identified as a suspect as of Tuesday morning, sources said.

Building resident Nelson Jaque said he lived a floor below the woman and often saw her playing with her young son.

"I would see her often, being very protective and almost obsessed with the boy," Jaque said.

"As a matter of fact, I saw her early last week and I saw her calling for him. I told her to let him run, to let him have fun and she replied back, 'No!'"

Jacque said he told his wife about three days ago that he smelled something strange, but didn't think much about it until Monday when he was walking his dog and the smell was stronger.

"I'm just distraught for the child," Jaque said, holding back tears.