PHILADELPHIA, July 16 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia woman and her boyfriend were charged Friday with the torture death of her 3-year-old godson, who was allegedly burned with a blowtorch.

Police said Nadera Batson, 22, had been caring for Jaquinn Brewton because his mother was living in a homeless shelter with his five older siblings, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Batson and Marcus King, 23, allegedly punched and kicked the little boy, in addition to burning his feet, hands and buttocks with the torch.


Batson told police June 29 he had fallen from a window of her apartment. The boy was taken off life support this week at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"The little boy took all the pain that he could until he couldn't take it anymore," Police Homicide Capt. James Clark said.

Clark said the boy was abused daily. He had been with Batson since March.

"I have 22 years in the police department and this is one of the saddest cases I've seen," he said.