By Haimy Assefa
CNN
NEW YORK (CNN) — A father who had recently lost custody of his 3-year-old son dropped the toddler from the roof of a 52-story Manhattan building on Sunday before leaping to his own death, according to the New York Police Department.
Following several 911 calls, police arrived on the scene at noon to find the body of Dimitriy Kanarikov and his unconscious son, who was later pronounced dead, on the roofs of two buildings on West 59th Street, according to police.
Kanarikov, 35, had limited visitation rights with his son, Kirill, since his estranged wife was awarded custody in September, said police.
Unaware of what her husband had done, the child’s mother was waiting for Kanarikov to drop off their son at the previously arranged location of the 17th Precinct station house at 1 p.m. on Sunday, according to Officer Christopher Pisano.
The Ukraine-born Kanarikov is seen on surveillance video Sunday morning guiding his young child into the lobby of the Upper West Side building at 124 W. 60th St., Pisano said. He was not observed being stopped by anyone or speaking to anybody in the video.
Police arrived to discover the toddler unconscious on a roof by himself suffering from severe trauma, according to the NYPD. The child was rushed to nearby Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An eyewitness told CNN affiliate NY1 that emergency responders did everything they could, but it was too late.
Witnesses reported seeing something fall from above and then hearing a “thump,” said Pisano, and another caller was able to see the bodies using binoculars.
There may have been red flags in the past, according to Pisano. Kanarikov’s wife filed an order of protection against her husband in September. The temporary order expired in October and was never renewed, said Pisano.
Earlier this month, police were called after a domestic dispute between the couple, Pisano said. Kanarikov was the one who dialed 911, according to Pisano.
Kanarikov was also arrested in 2000 in New York, but the records are sealed, Pisano told CNN.
Pictures posted on Kanarikov’s Facebook profile display smiling faces and what appears to be a happy family. The three seem playful on a beach in pictures posted on September 15.
“I want to be the best dad and husband – nothing is more important to me right now,” Kanarkov posted on the site along with photos of his wife and son.
Police told CNN the investigation is ongoing.
The-CNN-Wire
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