BEAU MUM IN SUBWAY FALL DEATH
By Greg Gittrich and Nicole Bode
The boyfriend of a teenager who died after mysteriously
collapsing on a midtown subway platform was in a "state
of shock" yesterday, unable to shed any light on the tragedy,
the girl's family said yesterday.
"He doesn't want to talk to anyone, he doesn't even want
to come to the phone," said Zakiya Kennedy's father, Kevin,
44.
Zakiya, 18, fell and complained of head and leg pain at
the 42nd Street uptown D train platform Friday night.
She died a short time later.
"They can't find her cause of death," said Kevin Kennedy,
as he stood beside a memorial for his daughter in the
lobby of the Frederick Douglas Houses on the upper west
side. "There's a lot of questions unanswered."
Kennedy added he was "angry and confused" at the actions
of his daughter's boyfriend, identified only as Jermaine.
Relatives said they believe Jermaine pushed Zakiya during
an argument. He fled just before Zakiya told a cop she
had fallen and needed aid, relatives said. She was taken
to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at
9:15, police said.
"I'm just upset that he left her," Kennedy said. "From
the first time I met him, he seemed like a nice guy."