Godfather charged in death of infant

The godfather of a 4-month-old Hunting Park infant was charged with homicide today in the death of the baby Sunday night.

Police allege that Marquise Waliyyuddin, 24, repeatedly shook Aiden Jameer Santiago, causing fatal internal injuries, because he was crying.

Aidenn's mother had left the infant with Waliyyuddin at his home on the 4300 block of North 5th Street on Saturday, police said.

Waliyyuddin was the infant's godfather and is the live-in partner of another male who grew up with the mother, said Lt. Philip Riehl of the Homicide Unit.

The mother occasionally left the child with the couple, police said.

On Sunday, after the child became agitated and began to cry, Walidduddin "shook the baby violently on multiple occasions causing cerebral hemorrhaging," Riehl said.

A neighbor called 911 after someone in the home yelled that the baby had stopped breathing, police said.

The child died shortly after at Saint Christopher's Hospital.

Waliyyuddin has had numerous run-ins with law enfocment, including assault charges and domestic squables with his partner, police records show.

Contact staff writer Mike Newall at 215-854-2759 or mnewall@phillynews.com.