NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The North Miami Beach Police Department on Thursday released 911 calls made by a man accused of killing his girlfriend's 2-year-old son.
Police charged 32-year-old Claude Alexis with first-degree murder and child abuse in Ezra Raphael's death.
"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" asked the dispatcher.
"I don't know -- I don't know, ma'am," said Alexis. "I put him on the bed. I thought he was sleepy and he just started throwing up out of his mouth and now the bed is wet with food."
"He is awake?" asked the dispatcher.
"I'm not sure, ma'am," he answered.
Prior to the 911 call on June 20, Alexis hit Raphael in the back with a belt after waking up to find water running in the bathroom, according to police. The boy was transported to Jackson North Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner ruled he died from blunt force trauma.
"Okay, he is awake?" asked the dispatcher.
"I'm not sure, ma'am," replied Alexis.
"What do you mean you're not sure?"
"Ezra! Ezra! Ezra! Ezra!" Alexis called out. "He is dead asleep."
The dispatcher then tried walking Alexis through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR. A moan from Raphael was then heard in the call.
"Is that him?" asked the dispatcher.
"Yes," replied Alexis.
"Okay, I need for you to get him up. I need for you to try and wake him up, honey."
"I tried. I tried everything. I threw water on him and everything, ma'am," said Alexis. "I don't know what the hell to do, ma'am. I'm just panicking right now."
Raphael's mother, 22-year-old Cierrah Raphael, was working as a prostitute at the time of her son's death, police said. She was charged with child neglect.