The forces that shaped a Hartford toddler’s life — and death

[Lee Cruz]

Tabitha Frank’s 2-year-old son Corneliuz died after falling from a window in July. Generational poverty preceded the tragedy

by Ginny MonkSeptember 24, 2023 @ 5:00 am

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The sisters of Corneliuz Williams look at their brother in the casket. Their mother, Tabitha Frank, at right, watches. SHAHRZAD RASEKH / CT MIRROR

Tabitha Frank thinks her personal hell would be cold. 

The kind of cold that feels like it could slice to the bone. The kind of cold that makes your feet go numb. The kind of cold she felt waiting in the police station while a single thought churned through her mind:

My son is going to die alone.

At the time of Frank’s arrest, her 2-year-old son was fighting for his life with serious head injuries, unable to breathe on his own. When the call came in about the severity of his injuries, police took her to visit him before bringing her back to the station for the remainder of her interview and booking, according to the July 22 incident report...

https://ctmirror.org/2023/09/24/hartford-ct-toddler-death-poverty-h...