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Man Beats Girlfriend's 2-Year-Old Son to Death in Pennsauken: Officials

A man is accused of beating his girlfriend's toddler son to death in South Jersey over the weekend.

Authorities said the 2-year-old boy's mother called 9-1-1 Saturday night when she realized the child was unresponsive in the Pennsauken apartment where they live. But it was too late: Doctors at Cooper University Hospital pronounced the little boy dead at 12:08 a.m. Sunday. Authorities said he suffered injuries including severe blunt-force trauma to his organs and torso area, along with internal bleeding.

Police investigated and quickly arrested 24-year-old Zachary Tricoche, of Pennsauken, for allegedly beating the child to death. Tricoche is the mother's boyfriend, police said.

Neighbors of the apartment on Mansion Boulevard near Frosthoffer Avenue said they saw an ambulance at the home late Saturday night, and then police cars parked outside and detectives coming in and out of the home through the night and into Sunday, NBC10's Cydney Long reported.

"They had gloves on and the guy was taking photos," said Dennis Manos, a Pennsauken resident. "Another guy was taking photos down the street. They were going in and out. The door was open all afternoon and they were going in and out. Carrying stuff in and out."

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Neighbors told NBC10 the family moved in only a month ago and mostly kept to themselves.

"It breaks my heart," said Mabel Stevenson. "I can't even imagine what the parent, the family, feel like."

Tricoche faces charges including first-degree murder and was being held at Camden County Jail on Monday, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in front of Judge Edward J. McBride Jr. A source told NBC10 two siblings of the toddler were also injured by Tricoche and more charges could be on the way.

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