The man accused of running over a 1-year-old Bronx girl is a self-described rapper who shacked up in the same apartment building as the child he killed, The Post has learned.
Kier Boneparte, 22, faces reckless driving and other charges stemming from the Tuesday afternoon death of Djeneba Magassa, who was pinned against a wall by Boneparte’s SUV in Williamsbridge.
Boneparte has been staying on the first floor of the same East 215th Street building as the dead girl’s family, which is about half a block from where his car rammed into her, neighbors told The Post.
Boneparte’s ID lists a Staten Island address, according to the NYPD — but at least five neighbors identified a photo of him and said he had been around the building.
“That’s him,” said a man who lives in the building next door but did not give his name. “Yeah, he hit the kid yesterday. He lives here on the first floor.”
Another female neighbor who refused to give her name added: “He lives downstairs from the baby he hit. He been staying with them a while.”
A man and two women who were in that apartment refused to answer questions Wednesday.
A woman who witnessed the wreck said Boneparte wanted to help Djeneba and her mother after the crash — but his car was too damaged.
“He wanted to drive them to the hospital but it wouldn’t start,” said Shauna Downer, 36, who said she was nearly hit by the car herself before a friend pushed her out of the way. “Another man took them in his car.”
A woman who was in the passenger seat of Boneparte’s car jumped out and ran away after the crash, said Downer, who lives nearby. The ordeal left Djeneba’s mother looking shocked, she said.
“You could see the baby’s neck was broke and her head was swollen. I just stroke her little shoulder,” Downer said.
Boneparte’s latest arrest was one of 17 times he’s been collared, police say. He has a total of four open arrests on charges including forgery, criminal possession of marijuana and criminal sale of marijuana, the NYPD said.
Boneparte describes himself as a “Rap Artist” on his Facebook page, where he has made several posts about money and smoking. He’s also shared photos of fanned-out cash and himself smoking.
The profile says Boneparte has worked at the New York City Housing Authority and the city’s Department of Design and Construction, but his name does not show up on the municipal payroll records maintained by the non-profit Empire Center. The DDC said he is not in its directory, and NYCHA said it has no record of him ever working for the agency.
Police say Boneparte lost control of his 2002 BMW SUV while heading north near the corner of East 215th Street and White Plains Road at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. The vehicle hit an empty parked car, jumped the curb and slammed into the girl while she sat in a stroller, pinning her against a wall, according to the NYPD.
Boneparte is expected to be arraigned Wednesday on reckless driving, failure to yield to a pedestrian causing injury and operating a vehicle without a license.
With Julia Marsh and Nolan Hicks