THE IRRESPONSIBLE attitude of Rahiim Ricardo Clarke's mother, Michelle Clarke, had been a concern of the boy's father, Randy Lazare.

"I told her (the way) she was living her life I didn't like that. I said I would have to go to take him. She always want to lime and had a don't care attitude," Lazare said yesterday.

Just one day before the baby died at the Mayaro District Hospital, Lazare, 34, discussed taking custody of his son from Clarke, from whom he separated a month before Rahiim was born.

Despite their separation, Lazare, a lorryman for a grocery in San Fernando, would attempt to visit his son regularly.

"Recently, I was having dreams about my teeth falling out and I know that is a (omen of) death," said Lazare, who last saw his son alive last week Friday. Following the dreams, the worried father called Clarke on Saturday concerning the welfare of the boy.

On Sunday, Michelle Clarke, 22, left the boy in the care of a male relative in Mafeking Village when she went to take part in the Fisherman's Festival on St Peter's Day in Mayaro.

"I didn't want to risk carrying him there. I was accustomed leaving with (the relative)," said Clarke of the caretaker.

The man has two children of his own and had always offered assistance to the young mother and often took care of the boy while she was away without incident.

Lazare said he was not aware the girl regularly left the boy with the man.

Around 10 a.m. on Wednesday the boy was rushed to the Mayaro District Hospital after he was found bleeding in a bedroom of the caretaker's home. Both parents received word of the boy's plight via cell phone calls.

"When I got the message, I got stupid," said (M) Clarke. By the time she arrived at the hospital, he was dead.

A police investigation was launched after hospital officials informed them of bruises to the boy's face and neck, as well as burn marks. Clarke revealed yesterday that the baby's jaw was also broken. The post-mortem on Rahiim was once again stalled yesterday, as more tests on the toddler's body are to be done on Monday.

A Mayaro couple remain in custody for the incident.