STATE HAD INVESTIGATED BOY'S FAMILY; A 3-YEAR-OLD IS DEAD; AN OCEAN COUNTY COUPLE WHO HAD CUSTODY OF HIM HAVE BEEN CHARGED.

Author: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dateline: TOMS RIVER

An Ocean County woman charged in the beating death of a 3-year-old boy in her custody had been investigated by the state Division of Youth and Family Services, a prosecutor said yesterday.

Kathleen Golebieski, 37, is charged with murder and child endangerment. Her husband, Joseph Golebieski, also 37, is charged with child endangerment.

Ocean County Prosecutor Dan Carluccio said authorities in Monmouth County had been contacted at least three times about alleged abuse while the family lived in Shrewsbury Township before moving to Brick Township three weeks ago.

Kyle Golebieski died Saturday at Jersey Shore Medical Center after being brought unconscious by ambulance to the hospital the day before. He never regained consciousness and died from head injuries, Carluccio said.

He and his brother had been brought to this country from Honduras about a year ago under the last name of Kelly, which is Kathleen Golebieski's maiden name, Carluccio said.

The prosecutor's office is investigating a former New Jersey company in connection with what Carluccio said may have been "black market adoptions."

When Youth and Family Services officials last examined Kyle in early June, ''there were no signs of visible injury," Carluccio said.

Division of Youth and Family Services spokesman Norman Reim said yesterday that he couldn't comment on the case or whether an internal investigation had been ordered.

He would say only that "if there were allegations of abuse and neglect made and those were not properly investigated then, yes, there will be an internal review of that."

An autopsy performed by Dr. Hydow Park revealed evidence of multiple beatings throughout the body in various states of healing, indicating that the boy was beaten more than once before his death, Carluccio said.

"It is not a single loss of temper," Carluccio said. "It is a course of conduct over a period of weeks."

Carluccio said witnesses alleged that they had seen the child beaten at the couple's Brick Township home, including one incident where a passerby interfered.

Kyle's 2-year-old brother, Ryan, appeared unharmed and has been placed in foster care, Carluccio said.

Golebieski, who is a cost analyst at Fort Monmouth, was released from the Ocean County jail Tuesday night. His wife remained in custody yesterday, a jail official said.