Tampa's always getting such bad people in the news that I'm ashamed to live here.
Dad Boxed With 3-Year-Old, Mom Says In Murder Trial
By BEN MONTGOMERY
mailto:bmontgomery@tampatrib.comPublished: Jul 13, 2005
TAMPA - Even though the boy would shake and wet himself, his father, Ronnie Paris Jr., would box with the 3-year-old, slapping him in the head until he cried because he didn't want his son to grow up to be ``a sissy,'' the boy's mother testified Monday.
Others corroborated Nysheerah Paris' testimony as the prosecution built its case during the first day of the capital murder trial of Ronnie Paris Jr., 21, accused of abusing 3-year- old Ronnie Paris until the boy slipped into a coma Jan. 22.
He died six days later with swelling on both sides of his brain.
``He was trying to teach him how to fight,'' said Shanita Powell, Nysheerah Paris' sister. ``He was concerned that the child might be gay.''
Even Sheldon Bostic, who was Ronnie Paris Jr.'s Bible- study friend, said he warned the father several times not to play so rough with his son.
``He really did what other fathers do - slap box,'' Bostic said. ``He always said he didn't want his son growing up to be pushed around.''
``Did Ronnie use a term for that?'' asked Jalal Harb, an assistant state attorney.
``He didn't want him to be a sissy,'' Bostic said.
The prosecution's witnesses portrayed Ronnie Paris Jr. as a man who wanted more of his wife's attention, who complained about not having enough sex since the child was around and who openly questioned whether the boy was his.
Witnesses also testified he lost his temper when the child was ill. The boy was sick often while in his parents' care.
In 2002, the Florida Department of Children & Families placed little Ronnie in protective custody after he had been admitted to the hospital several times for vomiting.
He was returned to his parents Dec. 14, five days after his third birthday. He had been with them six weeks when he died.
The defense tried to shift the blame to Nysheerah Paris, who testified she was so scared someone would take her baby away that she never called police or her caseworker to report what she perceived to be abuse by Ronnie Paris Jr.
It wasn't until Feb. 1, four days after little Ronnie was taken off life support, that Nysheerah Paris told police of the alleged abuse. She is charged with felony child neglect and faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
She testified that she witnessed Ronnie Paris Jr. being rough with the child several times, including once when he ``slammed'' the baby against a wall because the child was vomiting.
But she said she didn't take the baby to the hospital immediately after the incidents.
``I just didn't want my baby to get tooken away from me,'' she said. ``I thought he was going to make it.''
Kenn Littman, an assistant public defender, asked Nysheerah Paris why she never reported the alleged abuse.
``You thought that the cops were gonna put this on you if you didn't say anything?'' Littman asked.
``Yes,'' she said.
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Some people might thinks she's foolish and should have acted or whatever, but I know what she went through and it's really hard when you're trapped like that. 
