NORRISTOWN — A Perkiomen Township man who shared a child with a Lower Providence woman serving prison time for vehicular homicide in the deaths of two state troopers must answer to charges in Montgomery County Court for allegedly physically abusing the 2-month-old boy while the child was in his care.
Tahir Marcel Riley, 27, of the 200 block of Concord Road, was held for trial, after a preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Adam T. Katzman, on charges of aggravated assault of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment in connection with an April 18, 2024, incident at his residence.
Riley faces a July 10 formal arraignment hearing on the charges in county court. After that hearing, a judge will schedule Riley’s trial date.
The case has been assigned to Judge Steven T. O’Neill.
Riley remains in the county jail in lieu of $1 million bail pending trial.
Assistant District Attorney Jediah Grobstein is handling the case. Defense lawyer Geoffrey David Hood represents Riley, according to court records.
The child’s mother, Jayana Tanae Webb, of Eagleville in Lower Providence Township, is currently serving 27½ to 60 years in prison on charges of third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with the March 21, 2022, incident on I-95 in Philadelphia during which she struck and killed state police troopers Branden T. Sisca and Martin F. Mack III, while they were on duty and dispatched to a report of a pedestrian on the highway near the sports stadiums in Philadelphia. That pedestrian, Reyes Rivera Oliveras, 28, of Allentown, was also struck and killed.
Sisca, 29, a graduate of Perkiomen Valley High School and West Chester University who also proudly served as the chief of the Trappe Fire Company, and Mack, 33, of Bristol, Bucks County, a graduate of Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill and Albright College in Reading, were members of Troop K, Philadelphia. Troop K covers parts of Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware counties.
Webb, 24, was sentenced in November 2023 when she was seven months pregnant but was allowed to remain out of custody until she gave birth to the son she shared with Riley. Court records show Webb surrendered to prison officials on March 15, 2024.
The investigation of Riley began at about 10:45 a.m. April 19 when East Norriton police responded to Pediatric Medical Associates on West Germantown Pike when a doctor expressed concerns about a case of suspected child abuse.
A doctor told authorities the 2-month-old boy was in for a scheduled checkup on April 15 and at that time the child appeared to be in good health with no injuries. However, the child was seen again on April 19 and his head “was extremely swollen” and the left side of his face was bruised with discoloration from the left ear to the left eye, down to the jaw, and he had swelling to the right side of his face as well, according to a criminal complaint.
The infant had been brought to the medical facility by Riley. When questioned at the doctor’s office by police, Riley could not explain how the injuries may have occurred, police said.
Because Riley lived on Concord Road in Perkiomen Township, the investigation was referred to state police at Skippack.
The child was subsequently transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Emergency room staff at the hospital told police the child “sustained a skull fracture and had brain bleeds,” according to the criminal complaint filed by state police Trooper Cory Walter.
The investigation determined Riley shared caring for the infant with other relatives and it had been Riley’s turn to watch the infant the night of April 18. Other family members told police that when Riley took the child to his basement room the baby had no visible injuries and was acting normal, according to the criminal complaint.
At 9 a.m. April 19, a relative heard the baby crying in the basement, went to investigate and noticed the injuries to the baby, police said. The relative awakened Riley and the pair took the baby to the doctor’s office.
When Riley was questioned by police he claimed that while he watched the child the baby was getting fussy and he gave him a bottle and put him to bed in a bassinet, according to court papers. Riley maintained he fed the baby again at 3 a.m. April 19 and the baby fell back to sleep.
Riley allegedly told police the baby awakened at about 7 a.m. when he fed the baby and placed him in a swing seat and that he and the baby fell asleep again. Riley claimed he awoke when he heard a relative yelling and observed his son’s injuries, according to the arrest affidavit.
Riley initially told state police he did not know of anyone who would hurt the child.
During a later interview by police Riley said he probably picked up the baby “too hard when he grabbed him,” according to the criminal complaint.
“Riley acknowledged he may have lifted (the infant’s) legs too hard when he was changing his diaper. When asked if it was fair to say that due to stress, lack of sleep or frustration he was a little more aggressive than he usually is Riley nodded his head yes,” Walton alleged. When asked if he caused the child’s injuries, Riley allegedly stated “yes, not intentionally,” court documents indicate.
“Riley then confirmed no one else in the house would have harmed the baby,” Walton alleged.
Medical officials at CHOP concluded the child’s injuries resulted from “inflicted trauma/child physical abuse.”
