EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) – A Morris County man wanted for allegedly beating his girlfriend’s three-year-old son to death at a hotel in East Hanover Township was arrested Tuesday, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.
Edwin A. Urbina, 27, with a last known address of 14-02 Clyde Potts Drive, Morristown was taken into custody without incident outside the Morris County Records and Administration Building in Morristown. He will be lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a first appearance in court, Carroll siad.
Urbina was charged Monday with first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of children, third-degree tampering with a witness, and fourth-degree tampering with evidence, Carroll said.
On August 13, shortly after 5:00 a.m., officers from the Morristown Police Department responded to the Morristown Medical Center for a report of a 3-year-old boy in cardiac arrest. The subsequent investigation revealed that the child had sustained a number of physical injuries, Carroll said.
“Following an autopsy, Morris County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Carlos Fonseca, M.D. determined the manner of death to be homicide,” Carroll said.
The subsequent investigation has revealed that the fatal beating of the child occurred at the Oyo Hotel, located at 130 Route 10 West, in East Hanover, Carroll said.
It is alleged that Urbina physically beat the boy in the early morning hours of August 13 resulting in his death, and that the victim’s mother, Krystal Straw, was not present during the assault but arrived at the hotel shortly thereafter, Carroll said.
It is alleged that after her arrival, Straw transported Urbina to another location before bringing the victim to the Morristown Medical Center. Urbina allegedly instructed Straw to delete content from her cellular telephone and deny his involvement in the homicide when speaking to the police, Carroll said.
Krystal Straw, 28, has been charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of children, third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution, third-degree tampering with a witness, and fourth-degree tampering with evidence. She remains lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a court appearance currently scheduled for August 18, Carroll said.
“The exhaustive efforts of the East Hanover Police Department, the Morristown Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in working together to investigate this incident leading to the arrests of the suspects,” Carroll said.
