Police have arrested the stepmother of a 7-year-old Florida girl who was nearly killed when she fell out the window of a sixth floor Brooklyn apartment, police sources said.
Diana Metellus, 19, was charged with assault and reckless endangerment last night after authorities learned that she whipped the child with a folded belt just hours before the girl took a tumble out of her relatives Coney Island building, sources said.
Metellus, her husband and the child, were in town visiting from Fort Meyers, Fla. when she discovered that her stepdaughter had gone missing on the streets. The child was quickly found by police and returned, but Metellus beat the child with the belt and told her to stay in her room, law enforcement sources said.
Metellus went to check on the girl hours later, and shortly after leaving the room, she discovered the girl had gone out the window.
Remarkably, the girl survived but was hospitalized in critical condition. It’s unclear if she fell or jumped out the window, cops said
Upon examination, doctors found traces of opiates in the girl’s system and evidence of sexual abuse.
Investigators have not been able to interview the girl due to her condition, sources said.
Metellus is currently awaiting arraignment, officials said.