Kemchan Sulaiman charged with attempted murder of 2-year-old daughter

A Queens man, Khemchan Sulaiman, 45, of 159th Street, Jamaica, was arraigned on a charge of attempted murder-second degree for the alleged poisoning of his 2-year-old daughter on Monday.

He was remanded without bail. If convicted Sulaiman faces up to 25 years in prison. His next court date is scheduled for Friday.

Sulaiman and his daughter, a Brooklyn resident, were found unconscious in a minivan, by a passerby, parked behind Amazing Savings, a discount store located at 311 Central Ave., in Lawrence on Monday at 10:40 a.m., according to police.

The 2-year-old and her dad, an MTA mechanic, were in respiratory distress and first taken to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway. The girl was transferred to Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park and is currently in stable condition, according to police. Sulaiman remains in critical condition, police said, but was transferred from St. John's to Nassau County Medical Center.

Detective Lt. Kevin Smith of the Nassau County Police Department said the minivan was impounded and the Nassau County police Hazardous Materials unit conducted a search of the vehicle for evidence.

Smith said while he is not prepared to state the motive of this incident, the man and his wife are separated. “There may be a great deal of friction between the parties,” he said, “and this may have been an attempt to take his own life and his child’s life.”

Hazardous Materials unit recovered the toddler’s bottle and it contained ammonium chloride, which is a chemical compound commonly found in fire extinguishers.

A brand name pesticide known as Sevin®, containing the chemical naphthyl methylcarbamate, was found in the girl’s car seat. It is used to kill several types of insects on vegetables, fruits, trees and shrubs, based on information provided on gardentech.com. The pesticide is also considered eco-friendly as it is easily broken down by the environment.

No substances were found in the vehicle that would be a health threat to the community, police said. The investigation is continuing.