Usanewsonline.com desk: Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler has been indicted for murder,  endangering the welfare of a child and other crimes in connection with the death of his 3-year-old son and physical  abuse to a second child in an Elmhurst shelter last month.  

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, this parent failed his primary duty as a protector, killing one of  his own children by callous force and allegedly injured another. We will not forget this child. The defendant will  be held fully accountable for his actions.”  

Butler, 26, of Elmhurst, was arraigned yesterday on an eleven-count indictment charging him with murder  in the second degree, two counts of manslaughter in the first degree, manslaughter in the second degree, assault  in the second degree and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Butler was ordered by Judge Michael  Yavinsky to return to court on January 31. He faces up to 40 years to life in prison if convicted.  

According to the indictment, on Sunday, November 13, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Butler was in an  apartment at the Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst when he allegedly struck his 3-year-old son in the multiple  times causing lacerations to the child’s liver and internal bleeding. The child’s mother and his two young siblings  were in the apartment at the time as well.  

Responding to a 911 call, the New York Fire Department arrived at the hotel and found the 3-year-old  victim unconscious on the floor with visible bruises to the head, body and extremities. The child was rushed to a  nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner determined that the child had significant  internal bleeding and died from blunt force trauma to his torso. Medical examination of a second child, who is 2  years old, revealed physical injuries consistent with child abuse.  

The investigation was conducted by Detective Ronald Nalbach of the New York Police Departments’ 110  Precinct Detective Squad and Detective Frank Galati, of the Queens North Homicide Squad.  

Senior Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Selkowe of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau is  prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter McCormack III and John W.  Kosinski, Senior Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and Karen Ross, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision  of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.  

Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven  

 guilty.