Latest news with #CierraCarroll
Daily Mail
10-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Boy 'thrown off bridge' went missing on mother's day... but cops told mom: 'So what?', lawsuit claims
The mother and grandmother of a 2-year-old who police say was thrown into the Bronx River by his father are suing New York authorities for allegedly telling her 'So what' when she called 911. Montrell Williams, 2, vanished on Mother's Day after a custody visit with his 20‑year‑old father Arius WIlliams, and his body was later discovered in the East River nearly a month after his disappearance on June 11. Now, Williams' mother, 17‑year‑old Cierra Carroll, is suing the city for $60 million, alleging the NYPD failed to investigate the toddler's disappearance, a lawsuit claims. Carroll claims she repeatedly alerted police that her son had not been returned but was met with no support, and grew emotional as she detailed her ordeal at a Friday press conference outside the NYPD's 40th Precinct. 'They told me not to follow him and to go to the police to file a complaint,' Carroll said. 'I told the police that he had a warrant, they said, "So what?"' 'And hung up the phone,' Carroll's mother, Octavia Roane, added. Court records say Montrell's father was captured on surveillance video walking with his young son before allegedly tossing him from the Bruckner Expressway overpass in The Bronx. Arius Williams now faces charges including second‑degree murder and manslaughter, and remains held without bail. Carroll filed a formal notice of claim, a prerequisite to suing a government entity, on Thursday. She stood visibly shaken as she held her press conference in the Bronx, surrounded by her mother and a spokesperson for the family. 'She's very hurt right now,' Roane said. 'The way the police responded, the way they acted towards us, no care in the world.' 'They put them on notice that this child is in danger. No Amber Alert was issued at all. And, while this child's life was hanging in the balance, they were pushed to the side,' the family's lawyer, Shiraz Khan, added. The family also alleges they filed multiple missing-persons reports but were repeatedly directed to family court rather than being treated with urgency. Police say Montrell was murdered on May 10 but that the initial complaint wasn't reported to the NYPD until May 11, The Gothamist reported. Mayor Eric Adams said the NYPD's handling of the case is under review. The toddler was last seen around 10 p.m. on May 10, wearing only a white shirt and diaper, at an apartment building in Hunts Point about a mile from his home. He was last seen around 10 p.m. on May 10 at an apartment building at Hunts Point Avenue and Gilbert Place in Hunts Point (pictured) The boy was reportedly with his 20-year-old father that day for a scheduled custodial visit. The parents share split custody and visitation rights. However, when Montrell was not returned, his mother grew concerned. On May 30, after questioning the father about the boy's whereabouts, she received a troubling response. 'She asked where their son was and he made concerning statements,' a police source told the Daily News. Officials confirmed that the father's initial statements raised red flags about the child's safety. Following initial questioning at a police precinct, the father appeared in Bronx Family Court to answer a warrant for failing to return Montrell in accordance with the custody agreement, according to ABC7. When he refused to disclose the boy's location to the judge, he was taken into custody. Detectives have reason to believe the father threw Montrell into the Bronx River, near the Bruckner Expressway.
CBS News
08-08-2025
- CBS News
Mother of 2-year-old allegedly killed by father plans to sue NYPD for wrongful death
The mother of a toddler allegedly killed by his father in the Bronx says she plans to sue the New York City Police Department. The body of 2-year-old Montrell Williams was found in the East River in June, over a month after he went missing. His father, 20-year-old Arius Williams, is charged with his murder after Williams allegedly threw Montrell off a bridge. Montrell's mother, Cierra Carroll, claims police ignored her repeated calls for help. Carroll says on Mother's Day in May, Williams did not show up to return Montrell, so she called 911. She claims dispatchers misclassified it as a custody dispute. Eventually, she says, a judge issued an arrest warrant, but Carroll accuses the NYPD of failing to execute it. "We made several calls to 911, calls for the police, and nothing was done," said Carroll's mother, Octavia Roane. Carroll says she found the boy's father weeks later at a nearby shelter and claims he admitted to throwing the boy in the water, and also threatened her with a knife. She alerted police, but says they were delayed in arresting him. "I shouldn't have had to chase him down in order to find the child," Carroll said. Carroll leaned on her mother for support as they both described Montrell. "He was a happy child," Carroll said. "He loved playing with his toy cars. He liked running around," Roane said. Standing outside the 40th Precinct in the Bronx on Friday, Carroll's attorney announced they've filed a notice of claim for $60 million against the City of New York and the NYPD for what they're calling Montrell's wrongful death. Attorney Shiraz Khan says the women did everything they could. "They called not once, multiple times trying to get help. They put them on notice that Montrell's father was a dangerous man. They put them on notice that this child is in danger. They asked for help repeatedly. No Amber Alert was issued," Khan said. Activists are standing with the family. "No amount of money will bring back Montrell," Rev. Kevin McCall said. The NYPD said they will review the lawsuit "if and when it is filed." Last month, the mayor said the police response was under review. Williams, meanwhile, is being held without bail.
