Grandma of 2-year-old Montrell Williams, drowned in Bronx River, says NYPD botched response

The mourning maternal grandmother of 2-year-old Montrell Williams said she is filled with contempt for the boy’s father accused of tossing the toddler in the Bronx River — and for NYPD cops she accuses of not moving quickly enough to find the victim.

Octavia Roane is heartbroken over the horrific death of her only grandchild, a “mama’s boy” who loved running around and playing with his toy cars.

“The way the police responded, it shouldn’t take a whole month to find my grandson after we went [to them] since day one — since we told them since day one he was missing,” Roane said.

“Nothing was done. Why should it take a whole month to find my 2-year-old? A 2-year-old that can’t talk, can’t do nothing for himself? Once somebody says their kid is missing, it should be taken seriously. ASAP. Something should have been done as soon as possible. A mother comes to the police and says, ‘My son is missing. I haven’t heard from him.’ It should be taken seriously. There shouldn’t be a delay.”

Montrell was last seen alive by relatives of Arius Williams, 20, the accused father, who stormed out of a Mother’s Day celebration with the boy following an argument between Arius and Arius’ mother, according to members of his own family.

Williams, who had Montrell for an approved overnight visit, later that night appeared at a cousin’s house without the boy and went on to post on social media in the day ahead about things he was supposedly doing with Montrell — but never included any pictures, family members said.

Little Montrell’s mother and grandmother grew alarmed when Williams didn’t return with Montrell and called 911 to say the boy was missing, Roane said.

But police told them there was little they could do since the boy was on an approved visit with his father.

Williams’ family says they visited two NYPD stationhouses the day after Williams stormed off with his son and were told something similar.

Cops began searching the river after Williams, upon being confronted by the boy’s 17-year-old mother on June 7 about the child’s whereabouts, allegedly threatened her with a knife and told her that he had thrown their son into the river.

Williams was then jailed for contempt of court for refusing to share any information with a Bronx Family Court judge about the boy.

Last Wednesday, investigators fished Montrell’s little body out of the East River, miles away from the spot where police said a surveillance camera captured Williams tossing something into the Bronx River from a Bruckner Expressway overpass the night of May 10 within an hour of storming off from the family celebration.

The decomposing body was still dressed in the Calvin Klein T-shirt little Montrell was wearing when he disappeared with his dad a month ago, officials said.

Williams was charged with murder, and prosecutors said the boy was still alive when he was tossed into the river to die. He is being held without bail on Rikers Island.

“He was just a joyful kid,” Roane said Monday. “Everybody is just in shock. Everybody loved this boy. Everybody is saddened. Disbelief. Heartbroken. They just can’t believe it, and they can’t believe nothing was done.”

NYPD officials are conducting an internal review of the police response and examining whether proper protocols were followed by cops, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Adams said last week.

“The murder of Montrell Williams is an absolute tragedy, and the NYPD extends our deepest condolences to his family,” a department representative said in a statement. “Our detectives are always committed to conducting complete and thorough investigations, and the arrest of Arius Williams is the first step in the pursuit of justice for Montrell’s death.”

Still, Roane said, Montrell deserved better — from his father and the police.

“I want this to be an example for them to change how the system works when it comes to responding to somebody saying their 2-year-old is missing,” Roane said. “That’s what I want to change.”

Roane said Montrell’s 17-year-old mother is inconsolable. She is scheduled to graduate from high school in several days.

“She’s graduating without her son,” Roane said. “That’s her only son and my first grandchild. She’s hurt. Oh my God. She loved her son.”

Roane described how her bubbly grandson’s eyes would light up at the sight of his mother.

“Every time his mom walked in the door, he didn’t want to be bothered by anybody but his mother,” Roane said, breaking down in sobs. “He was so happy every time he saw his mother. It’s so hard to talk about. She’s heartbroken.”

The Rev. Kevin McCall, a family adviser, said cops added to the family’s stress.

“The Police Department actually dropped the ball,” McCall said at a Monday news conference with the victim’s family. “They were giving them the runaround, not even looking for what happened. It put the mother in distress.”

Originally Published: June 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM EDT