"Primary caretaker" dad sentenced to 12 years for suffocation death of 5-month-old son (Jefferson County, Colorado)

Once again, I have to wonder about our social priorities when mothers of infants are assigned the role of defending our country--all while there seem to be lots of idle, unemployed men laying about. What we end up with are babies left with "primary caretaker" daddies like JOSEPH TRUJILLO, who do the non-stop party routine. Seems to me that guys like Daddy are the ones who need a little military discipline. In this case, the baby died at home alone from "soft suffocation" while Daddy was playing beer pong.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/25382095/detail.html

Dad Gets 12 Years For Boy's 'Home Alone' Suffocation
Trujillo Went To Bar, Played Beer Pong At House Party
Posted by Kim Nguyen, Web Editor

POSTED: 3:09 pm MDT October 13, 2010
UPDATED: 3:25 pm MDT October 13, 2010

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- A 24-year-old man who left his 5-month-old son home alone, on a bed surrounded by pillows -- while he went to a bar and played beer pong -- was sentenced Wednesday.

Joseph Trujillo, of Golden, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

His son, Adrian, died of "soft suffocation," according to Jefferson County prosecutors.

A doctor had testified that most infants who suffocate in this manner have no clinical findings at autopsy, and that a death under these circumstances could not be classified a SIDS death, because the baby was left in an unsafe sleep environment, said Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors believe Adrian was home alone for seven to eight hours on Jan. 20.

During that time, his father had gone to a bar, drank with a female friend for several hours, and then spent several hours at another friend's house across the street, playing beer pong, prosecutors said.

Trujillo left the baby on his bed, wedged in between two pillows, with a bottle of formula propped on his chest. By the time Trujillo returned home, after midnight, the baby was dead.

Investigators said Trujillo was initially adamant that he had only left home for "20 minutes" to "get a quick drink" with a woman friend. But the woman told investigators that Trujillo, whom she had met on Facebook, was out for at least seven hours, the arrest affidavit stated.

Trujillo's mother, Gay Lujan, who lives with him at the West 10th Avenue apartment, told investigators she returned from work about 10:15 p.m. and found music blaring in her son's room and the baby's crib empty.

"She believed Joseph was at the bar because he has a drinking problem," the grandmother told investigators, according to the affidavit. "She was concerned he took (the baby) with him to the bar."

"She sent him a few text messages stating, 'Get the baby home' and 'Where are you?'" the arrest report stated. But her son did not respond.

The grandmother said she was awakened about 12:30 a.m. by the sound of Trujillo crying on the phone to someone.

"She got up and saw Adrian lying on the couch. She touched him and felt he was stiff and cold," the affidavit stated. The woman called 911.

An arriving paramedic found the baby cold and pale with his arms raised up around his head. The paramedic noticed a one inch-wide discoloration on the dead infant's temple, the arrest affidavit said.

Trujillo was the boy's primary caregiver. Adrian's mother was in the Army and stationed in Kansas.

Trujillo pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, a class three felony, on Sept. 28