Tragic Death in Times Square Linked to Domestic Violence and Child Abuse by Boyfriend

An update on the tragic death of a 20-year-old woman who leaped from an NYC building to her death reveals that a domestic violence incident may have been the catalyst for the suicide. The unnamed woman and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Tyler Griffen, were staying at the OYO Times Square hotel on West 47th Street when the horrific happenings occurred. Both the woman and Griffen are from Littleton, Colorado.

According to authorities, Giffen and the woman got into a violent fight in their hotel, reportedly “trashing” their room. It was reported that Griffen punched the woman several times, leaving many bruises. The altercation spread into the hallway of the hotel, with Griffen grabbing the couple’s eight-month-old baby’s arm, causing the small child to fall down the ninth-floor staircase. The child was caught by another hotel guest and was not injured.

Horrific Domestic Violence Incident in Hotel Leads to Suicide

The woman was heard by bystanders yelling “Don’t hurt my baby!” before disappearing from public view. It is assumed that the young mother climbed up to the hotel’s roof. The woman jumped off the 10-story building and hit scaffolding on the second story. She was pronounced dead when police got to the scene at approximately 10:30 PM.

Griffen was arrested after being found by officers in the hotel lobby acting suspiciously. Griffen refused to go with the police initially, and a Taser was used to arrest him. It is unclear if officials were aware that he was the boyfriend of the recently deceased woman. Griffen was first admitted to Bellevue Hospital as an “emotionally disturbed person”. He has since been charged with assault, reckless endangerment, and acting in a manner injurious to a child, and will be arraigned on May 3.

The couple’s child will be taken into the custody of NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services. Officials firmly believe that the mother’s death was a suicide and that Griffen was not involved.

READ MORE: New Jersey Boarding School Admits Failing to Protect Teen Who Committed Suicide After Enduring Bullying and Sexual Assault Taunts