The young son of a Brooklyn woman allegedly killed by a hammer-wielding housemate has been unable to remember his dad due to temporary amnesia — but was moved out of the ICU this week in what is being hailed as a “remarkable improvement,” according to an update on an online fundraiser for the family.
Meanwhile, the maniac who allegedly battered the boy, 5-year-old David, his little sister, Sophia, and mom, Zhao Zhao, appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Tuesday to answer charges of second-degree murder , assault and weapons possession.
Liyong Ye, 47, tried to hide from the press by holding his head down before the brief hearing, during which a judge remanded him and transferred his case to the borough’s Supreme Court.
Zhao, the kids’ 43-year-old mother, did not survive Ye’s alleged assault in the family’s Sunset Park apartment last Wednesday.
Her kids have been recovering from the grievous injuries Ye allegedly inflicted — but they are finally making progress, according to the update posted Monday on a GoFundMe page set up for the kids and their grief-stricken dad.
“Today, he was able to sleep peacefully and rest even better,” it continued. “This is a remarkable improvement from just a few days ago, when he would experience nightmares and intrusive memories during his sleep, making it incredibly difficult for him to rest.”
An update from the day prior noted that little David was “dealing with temporary amnesia and can’t recognize his father” but that “The silver lining is that he can express his needs and thoughts, a step forward that brings hope.”
His sister, 3-year-old Sophia, has also been making what the update called “major progress” despite recently fighting a lung infection.