Investigators say the infant was discovered inside a duffel bag during a Saturday night wellness check.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A 25-year-old mother was charged after New York City police officers found her 1-month-old son dead inside a closet at a Flatbush apartment during a wellness check Saturday night, according to the NYPD.
Police say the case is in its early stages, with the city’s medical examiner working to determine how the infant died and whether additional charges are warranted. Officers arrested the child’s mother, identified by police as Gynae Kendall, on Sunday and booked her on one count of concealment of a human corpse. Authorities said there were no immediate signs of trauma. The arrest followed a call from the baby’s grandmother requesting a welfare check at the apartment on Veronica Place, a tree-lined block of brick walk-ups in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
Officers arrived just after nightfall Saturday and spoke with Kendall before searching the home, police said. During the search, officers opened a closet and found a duffel bag containing the unresponsive infant. Emergency medical personnel pronounced the child dead at the scene a short time later. Police later identified the baby as Adonnys Kendall. “It is a heartbreaking situation for everyone involved,” an NYPD spokesperson said, adding that detectives from the 67th Precinct and the department’s Special Victims Division are assisting with interviews and evidence collection.
Investigators said the grandmother requested the wellness check after not seeing the child for several days and being unable to get a clear answer about his whereabouts. Police said Kendall initially told them the baby was with his father, but that turned out to be incorrect, prompting the search. Detectives said they found no outward injuries on the infant and recovered the duffel bag and other items from the apartment as evidence. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. A police official said late Monday that it remains unknown whether the child had underlying medical issues or if environmental factors in the apartment played a role.
Public records show the building sits on a block of mid-rise rentals south of Eastern Parkway, part of a densely populated area where multiple families often share space. Officers have responded to the address for minor calls in the past, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter, though none involved the infant. New York state law treats concealment of a human corpse as a felony tied to obstructing investigation. Such cases can evolve as medical findings come in, and prosecutors often wait on autopsy results before deciding on additional counts in child death investigations.
Kendall was taken to a Brooklyn precinct and later to central booking, where she awaited a first appearance in criminal court. As of Tuesday, it was not immediately clear if she had retained an attorney. The medical examiner’s office said its autopsy would be completed in the coming days, though toxicology and other laboratory testing can take longer. Police said they are reviewing 911 records, speaking with relatives and neighbors and checking for building security footage. The Administration for Children’s Services has been notified, as is standard in cases involving infants and unexplained deaths.
Outside the building Monday, several residents described a heavy police presence over the weekend and said officers remained for hours. One neighbor said the hallway was sealed while investigators collected evidence; another recalled watching crime-scene technicians carry out bags. “It’s just sad,” said a resident who lives on the same floor and asked not to be named, explaining that the block is usually quiet. A tenant who lives nearby said she saw relatives arrive late Saturday, looking distraught, as officers moved in and out of the apartment.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police said the investigation remains open while the medical examiner works to determine how the infant died. Prosecutors are expected to review the case after the autopsy is complete. A court appearance for Kendall is anticipated later this week in Brooklyn Criminal Court.
Author note: Last updated January 27, 2026.