Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
2-year-old Isaiah Jones, also known as Isaiah Velez, was found unresponsive May 10 at his mother's apartment on Dewey Avenue, according to the Rochester Police Department.
He died eight days later.
Police said the boy's mother, India Duncan, and her boyfriend, Joshua Velez, were caring for the boy at the time.
According to a felony complaint, the pair caused the boy's death through "prolonged physical abuse" with injuries including bite marks, bruising and bleeding to his brain, while also delaying to seek medical care for him.
"Many of our children in our community that are involved in cases that I handle, they don't have that opportunity to speak because they just can't speak yet," said Assistant District Attorney Hillary Langdon, chief of the Monroe County District Attorney's Office Special Victims Unit. "So we as adults in the community, you see something, say something, speak up, protect our children, get them back into safe environments."
Police responded to the couple's apartment again July 30. According to a felony complaint, Velez got into a Child Protective Services worker's face and said he was "going to f*** you up." The worker suffered an abrasion to one arm.
"They, frankly, have a very dangerous job at times," Langdon said of CPS workers. "They are going into people's homes, they do incredible work, but at times it's also very challenging and they face difficult or they're involved in difficult incidents."
Velez was charged with harassment for the incident, according to the complaint. His attorney told 13WHAM Wednesday that Velez "maintains his innocence and adamantly denies any wrongdoing."
Duncan, 25, and Velez, 30, were both arrested Aug. 4, according to police, charged with murder for Isaiah's death. According to a report released Tuesday by the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, Velez and Duncan were both indicted on those charges and several others. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/suspect-in-2-year-old-boy-toddler-isaiah-jones-velez-death-murder-arraigned-on-separate-charge-accused-of-harassing-cps-worker-harassment-arrest
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2-year-old Isaiah Jones, also known as Isaiah Velez, was found unresponsive May 10 at his mother's apartment on Dewey Avenue, according to the Rochester Police Department.
He died eight days later.
Police said the boy's mother, India Duncan, and her boyfriend, Joshua Velez, were caring for the boy at the time.
According to a felony complaint, the pair caused the boy's death through "prolonged physical abuse" with injuries including bite marks, bruising and bleeding to his brain, while also delaying to seek medical care for him.
"Many of our children in our community that are involved in cases that I handle, they don't have that opportunity to speak because they just can't speak yet," said Assistant District Attorney Hillary Langdon, chief of the Monroe County District Attorney's Office Special Victims Unit. "So we as adults in the community, you see something, say something, speak up, protect our children, get them back into safe environments."
Police responded to the couple's apartment again July 30. According to a felony complaint, Velez got into a Child Protective Services worker's face and said he was "going to f*** you up." The worker suffered an abrasion to one arm.
"They, frankly, have a very dangerous job at times," Langdon said of CPS workers. "They are going into people's homes, they do incredible work, but at times it's also very challenging and they face difficult or they're involved in difficult incidents."
Velez was charged with harassment for the incident, according to the complaint. His attorney told 13WHAM Wednesday that Velez "maintains his innocence and adamantly denies any wrongdoing."
Duncan, 25, and Velez, 30, were both arrested Aug. 4, according to police, charged with murder for Isaiah's death. According to a report released Tuesday by the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, Velez and Duncan were both indicted on those charges and several others. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/suspect-in-2-year-old-boy-toddler-isaiah-jones-velez-death-murder-arraigned-on-separate-charge-accused-of-harassing-cps-worker-harassment-arrest
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13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A
For more information, visit 13wham.com
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
