That was the name of his father.

When his father was taken away - locked up for unpaid traffic tickets - a bond was cut between the father, Dewey Gillespie, and his severely autistic son.

And while his father was behind bars, Brahim died.

Homicide detectives are investigating Brahim's death of dehydration and starvation on Dec. 29 while he was living with his stepmother and siblings.

The house on Ruan Street is crowded - nine other children live there - but it is well-tended, an unremarkable place in a quiet Frankford neighborhood.

Investigators are trying to determine why Brahim had no food in his stomach when he died, who cared for him, and why no one sought help.

Today, Gillespie, 40, said he had no criticism for the stepmother, Audrey McDaniels. He said that Brahim posed difficult parenting issues.

"It was hard," Gillespie said at the house today. "He was a child you had to stay on top of."

But Gillespie said he begged Traffic Court Judge Robert Shaffer on Dec. 13 not to be sent to jail because he needed to care for his disabled son.

"He said, 'I don't want to hear it,' " Gillespie said. " 'You either come up with the $1,500 or go to jail.' "

Traffic Court Administrative Judge Fortunato Perri said Shaffer would have no comment. Perri disputed Gillespie's account.

Perri said Shaffer, a visiting judge from Delaware County, told him today he did not recall Gillespie's saying he needed to care for his son.

"Everybody's got a story [in court]. 'I got a bad kidney. My wife needs me,' " Perri said, adding that each judge must use discretion in deciding cases. "Quite frankly, Judge Shaffer was well within the rights of the court."

Perri said Gillespie, who works at odd jobs and receives disability, owed $1,558 in fines but came to court with only $150. He had failed to keep up with previous payment plans. Perri said Gillespie had 11 citations for moving violations since 1996, including six for driving without a license and others for driving through a red light and a stop sign.

"If this guy didn't have a previous ticket and this happened, we would have been in serious trouble," Perri said. "But he did, and we didn't make an error."

The stepmother, McDaniels, who is in her late 30s, could not be reached for comment today. Family members said she was working at her job in a suburban shopping mall, but declined to provide other details.

Relatives and friends did say today that McDaniels did her best to provide for Brahim, who was physically and mentally disabled, while holding down a job and caring for the nine other children.

Len E. Ellis, the funeral director who handled the arrangements for Brahim, said it was "ridiculous" for authorities to label the case a homicide.

"Brahim wasn't expected to live past 10," said Ellis, a longtime friend of Gillespie's. "He was sick. He had physical problems. He couldn't walk without support. He had digestive problems."

Autistic children and adults are afflicted with a complex developmental disorder which affects social and communication skills. The symptoms may vary from quite mild to severe. They can include intense repetitive behavior and difficulty in interpersonal interactions.

Experts say autistic people can bond strongly with their caregiver and depend on that person to feed them.

Gillespie said Brahim had been physically and mentally disabled since birth when he was born prematurely at 2 pounds, 6 ounces. He said Brahim needed help bathing and using the bathroom.

"He was attached to me," Gillespie said. "But I know she [McDaniels] would have taken care of him. He wasn't starved. Never, never."

Gillespie said that by the time his fines were paid and he was released from jail Dec. 31, Brahim was buried at Greenmount Cemetery in the city's Feltonville section.

The Department of Human Services had an active file on the family from April 1999 through January 2001 after receiving a complaint about Brahim's welfare, said Liza Rodriguez, department spokeswoman.

As a result of the investigation, Rodriguez said, services were provided to Brahim in his home throughout 2000.

Rodriguez said she could not immediately provide additional information, such as why services were discontinued.

Homicide Sgt. Al Strong said that while Gillespie was in jail, Brahim remained at home with his stepmother and nine siblings.

"The boy apparently was not cared for in the manner he should have been," Strong said. "She had other children in the house and was working."

Strong said McDaniels telephoned 911 for an ambulance to take Brahim to Frankford Hospital-Frankford Campus on Dec. 29. The youth was pronounced dead on arrival, Strong said. He weighed 94 pounds. It was unclear how much weight he might have lost before his death. His father said Brahim had always been thin.

On Friday, the Medical Examiner's Office ruled that the death was a homicide and that Brahim died of starvation and dehydration. Officials could not say why three months elapsed between the death and homicide ruling.

Strong said investigators were interviewing relatives, medical officials, and other people with information. Police have also referred the investigation to the District Attorney's Office to determine whether charges of homicide are warranted.

Contact Barbara Boyer at 215-854-2641 or bboyer@phillynews.com