We've posted on this case before. True to the Dastardly Dads axiom, lots of backstory is being "forgotten" as this case goes to trial. Namely that TONY MORENO had fought this mother for custody and had a history of domestic violence. And that the judge who denied the mother's restraining order and subsequently set up this murder actually had a name: BARRY C. PINKUS.
Past postings are here.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Connecticut.
http://fox61.com/2016/05/17/father-who-allegedly-threw-son-off-bridge-rejects-plea-lawyer-says-jury-wont-convict-him-of-murder/
Father who allegedly threw son off bridge rejects plea; lawyer says jury won’t convict him of murder
Posted 5:47 PM, May 17, 2016, by Samantha Schoenfeld and Laura Roberts, Updated at 12:33pm, May 18, 2016
MIDDLETOWN--The Middletown father who police say threw his son off a bridge has rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors.
Tony Moreno is accused of killing his 7-month-old son Aaden on July 5, 2015 when he is said to have thrown the child off the Arrigoni Bridge, and then jumped off the bridge himself.
He was charged with murder and murder of a victim under the age of 16 and is being held on a $2 million bond.
Moreno's lawyer, Norm Pattis, met with prosecutors in the judge's chambers on Tuesday to discuss a plea deal, however, negotiations broke down.
Now the case is expected to go to trial in January.
Pattis told FOX 61, "The state wants to settle this case on terms we think are ridiculous. We're confident that a jury will not find Mr. Moreno guilty of murder and we'll take our chances at trial."
Pattis could not tell us the terms of the plea because it could be prejudicial during sentencing, but he called the number "obscenely high."
Tony Moreno in court
Last July, FOX 61 obtained a series of text messages exchanged between Moreno and the baby's mother, Adrianne Oyola, who had a restraining order out against Moreno weeks before the murder, but it was not extended at a hearing days before Aaden's death.
The text messages showed Moreno's mindset in the minutes before the incident.
Pattis said, "The jury will hear from Mr. Moreno about what actually took place on the bridge that night, not what police officers browbeat him into discussing in the wake of his child's death. No one should be subjected to a custodial interview when they watched their child go over a bridge and tumble to their death, yet this is what passes for law enforcement etiquette in Middletown. I'm looking forward to cross-examining those officers."
"We will unpack in studious detail what happened in the interrogation of Tony Moreno and a jury will decide whether what police got him to say is what happened or whether what Mr. Moreno will testify to is what happened," said Pattis.
Showing posts with label Connecticut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connecticut. Show all posts
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
Custodial dad gets 2 YEARS in prison for murder of 2-year-old son (Danielson, Connecticut)
(Intentionally?) misleading headline. The "parents" were not involved with this. The neglectful custodial dad and his heroin-addicted girlfriend were. WHO GAVE THEM CUSTODY? Not a word, as usual. Dad is identified as DAVID MAHAN.
Our sympathies to the mother, who is finally named.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20160311/NEWS/160319930
Putnam father sentenced to two years for role in toddler's death
David Mahan, of Putnam, is sentenced to 2 years in prison and 5 years probation Friday morning at Danielson Superior Court in connection with the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son. Aaron Flaum/ NorwichBulletin.com
By John Penney
Posted Mar. 11, 2016 at 11:54 AM
DANIELSON – The parents of a toddler who choked to death after being left unsupervised inside a Putnam bedroom in 2014 left Danielson Superior Court on Friday, the father to begin a prison sentence and the mother to continue piecing her life back together.
A few minutes before Judge Hope Seeley sentenced 32-year-old David Mahan to two years in prison for his role in the death of his 2-year-old son, the victim’s mother, Katelyn Kaeppel, stood nervously in the foyer of the court building.
“I’m not staying for the sentencing,” she said. “I don’t feel it’s necessary. I just wanted to make sure my son was getting justice. I lost a child, but so did David. So did both our families. I’m still angry, but I want nothing but the best for him.”
Mahan pleaded guilty in January to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child. Under a plea agreement, Mahan was sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2014, Peterson left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours with bowls of dry cereal for food while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.
Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.
After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to DayKimballHospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or a mass of chewed food. The death was ruled a homicide.
Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone for several hours a day since mid March 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.
“He callously disregarded the risk to his children,” AssistantState’s Attorney Sarah Fallon said. “And that led to (the child’s) death.”
Our sympathies to the mother, who is finally named.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20160311/NEWS/160319930
Putnam father sentenced to two years for role in toddler's death
David Mahan, of Putnam, is sentenced to 2 years in prison and 5 years probation Friday morning at Danielson Superior Court in connection with the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son. Aaron Flaum/ NorwichBulletin.com
By John Penney
Posted Mar. 11, 2016 at 11:54 AM
DANIELSON – The parents of a toddler who choked to death after being left unsupervised inside a Putnam bedroom in 2014 left Danielson Superior Court on Friday, the father to begin a prison sentence and the mother to continue piecing her life back together.
A few minutes before Judge Hope Seeley sentenced 32-year-old David Mahan to two years in prison for his role in the death of his 2-year-old son, the victim’s mother, Katelyn Kaeppel, stood nervously in the foyer of the court building.
“I’m not staying for the sentencing,” she said. “I don’t feel it’s necessary. I just wanted to make sure my son was getting justice. I lost a child, but so did David. So did both our families. I’m still angry, but I want nothing but the best for him.”
Mahan pleaded guilty in January to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child. Under a plea agreement, Mahan was sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2014, Peterson left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours with bowls of dry cereal for food while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.
Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.
After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to DayKimballHospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or a mass of chewed food. The death was ruled a homicide.
Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone for several hours a day since mid March 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.
“He callously disregarded the risk to his children,” AssistantState’s Attorney Sarah Fallon said. “And that led to (the child’s) death.”
Who gave father with history of assault, DUI, domestic violence who was subject to a restraining order visitation rights with a 7-year-old? (Connecticut)
Who the hell thought that giving a violent criminal like visitation with a 7-year old was a good idea, especially when the mother had a retraining order? Insane. Dad is identified as RODOLFO REVELLO.
http://patch.com/connecticut/trumbull/amber-alert-issued-7-year-old-ct-child-0
Amber Alert Cancelled for Trumbull Child Taken by Father [UPDATE]
Police in Connecticut and New York searched most of Saturday for Ariel Revello, 7, along with his Greenwich father.
Trumbull, CT
By Feroze Dhanoa (Patch National Staff) - March 14, 2016 10:24 am ET
By Rich Scinto, Patch Editor
TRUMBULL, CT- Police searched nearly all day Saturday for a 7-year-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert after his father, who has a violent criminal history, forcibly took him from his home, according to police. The alert was cancelled around 6:40 p.m. after the child was found safe, however police continue to search for the boy's father.
At a press conference on Saturday, Trumbull Police Chief Michael Lombardo said the department would be devoting all of its resources to safely return Ariel Revello, 7, after his father Rodolfo Revello, 43, violently took the child from his Unity Road home.
According to police, the boy was located in Queens, N.Y. shortly after 5 p.m. when his father called Trumbull Police and said he was leaving the child with a relative. Officers in New York responded to the address and located the boy safe and unharmed.
The investigation remains active and police are seeking to obtain a warrant for the arrest of the father, Rodolfo Revello on multiple charges.
Police extended the search into New York because Rodolfo has a listed residence in Greenwich. New York State Police, Connecticut State Police and the New York Police Department are assisting in the investigation.
Lombardo said there was a possibility the child and his father are in New York but said authorities were not certain about what city or burrough the two could be in.
Police responded to the home on Unity Road around 4:30 a.m. for the report of a domestic incident.
The child’s mother and estranged wife of Revello sustained cuts, bruises and abrasions during the violent incident. Revello obtained a knife from the kitchen, but he was disarmed by his 17-year-old stepson.
The victim jumped out of a bedroom window and hid in the yard. She was taken to a local hospital and has since been released, Lombardo said. No other injuries were reported.
Revello took several thousand dollars worth of cash and jewelry before he left the residence in a 2015 white Ford van with Connecticut registration CO40379.
The victim had a restraining order against Revello that is active until September, said Lt. Leonard Scinto, police spokesman. He has visitation rights with his son. Police have been called to the residence in the past for incidents.
Rodolfo’s criminal history includes convictions for assault, disorderly conduct, violation of conditions of release and two DUIs. He was also convicted in federal court of distributing cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in federal court, Revello supplied cocaine to members of the Stamford Chapter of the Latin Kings, who then sold the drugs to their own customers.
He was arrested in 2011. He was sentenced to five years of prison in 2012 followed by four years of supervised release.
Federal records show he was released on September 16, 2014.
Police ask anyone with any information to either contact Trumbull Police at 203-261-3665 or 911.
http://patch.com/connecticut/trumbull/amber-alert-issued-7-year-old-ct-child-0
Amber Alert Cancelled for Trumbull Child Taken by Father [UPDATE]
Police in Connecticut and New York searched most of Saturday for Ariel Revello, 7, along with his Greenwich father.
Trumbull, CT
By Feroze Dhanoa (Patch National Staff) - March 14, 2016 10:24 am ET
By Rich Scinto, Patch Editor
TRUMBULL, CT- Police searched nearly all day Saturday for a 7-year-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert after his father, who has a violent criminal history, forcibly took him from his home, according to police. The alert was cancelled around 6:40 p.m. after the child was found safe, however police continue to search for the boy's father.
At a press conference on Saturday, Trumbull Police Chief Michael Lombardo said the department would be devoting all of its resources to safely return Ariel Revello, 7, after his father Rodolfo Revello, 43, violently took the child from his Unity Road home.
According to police, the boy was located in Queens, N.Y. shortly after 5 p.m. when his father called Trumbull Police and said he was leaving the child with a relative. Officers in New York responded to the address and located the boy safe and unharmed.
The investigation remains active and police are seeking to obtain a warrant for the arrest of the father, Rodolfo Revello on multiple charges.
Police extended the search into New York because Rodolfo has a listed residence in Greenwich. New York State Police, Connecticut State Police and the New York Police Department are assisting in the investigation.
Lombardo said there was a possibility the child and his father are in New York but said authorities were not certain about what city or burrough the two could be in.
Police responded to the home on Unity Road around 4:30 a.m. for the report of a domestic incident.
The child’s mother and estranged wife of Revello sustained cuts, bruises and abrasions during the violent incident. Revello obtained a knife from the kitchen, but he was disarmed by his 17-year-old stepson.
The victim jumped out of a bedroom window and hid in the yard. She was taken to a local hospital and has since been released, Lombardo said. No other injuries were reported.
Revello took several thousand dollars worth of cash and jewelry before he left the residence in a 2015 white Ford van with Connecticut registration CO40379.
The victim had a restraining order against Revello that is active until September, said Lt. Leonard Scinto, police spokesman. He has visitation rights with his son. Police have been called to the residence in the past for incidents.
Rodolfo’s criminal history includes convictions for assault, disorderly conduct, violation of conditions of release and two DUIs. He was also convicted in federal court of distributing cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in federal court, Revello supplied cocaine to members of the Stamford Chapter of the Latin Kings, who then sold the drugs to their own customers.
He was arrested in 2011. He was sentenced to five years of prison in 2012 followed by four years of supervised release.
Federal records show he was released on September 16, 2014.
Police ask anyone with any information to either contact Trumbull Police at 203-261-3665 or 911.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Custodial dad to be sentenced in choking death of 2-year-old son (Danielson, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as DAVID MAHAN. We have posted on this case before. Still a media blackout on how this neglectful father and his heroin-addicted girlfriend (the "clinic" in question involved methadone) got custody, or what happened to this poor little boy's mother. Who allowed this situation to happen?
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20160303/NEWS/160309817
Putnam father of toddler who choked to death will be sentenced Monday
David Mahan, of Putnam, whose 2-year-old son choked to death on food after being locked in a room and left alone in his house, will be sentenced Monday to two years in prison.
By John Penney Posted Mar. 3, 2016 at 1:52 PM
DANIELSON — A Putnam man is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday to two years in prison for his role in the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son.
David Mahan, 31, pleaded guilty in January to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child, according to prosecutors in the Danielson Superior Court’s state’s attorney’s office. Under a plea agreement, Mahan will be sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
Mahan and his former girlfriend, Renee Peterson, 33, were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the death of Mahan’s son inside the couple’s apartment at 129 Mechanics St.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2014, Peterson left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours on the day of the incident with bowls of dry cereal while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.
Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.
After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or mass of chewed food. The death was ruled a homicide.
Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone for several hours a day since mid March of 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.
Shortly after the boy’s death, Mahan was arrested by Massachusetts state police on fugitive from justice charges.
In August, Peterson was sentenced to serve five years of a seven-year sentence, along with five years of probation. She pleaded guilty on June 5 to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury charges in the child’s death.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20160303/NEWS/160309817
Putnam father of toddler who choked to death will be sentenced Monday
David Mahan, of Putnam, whose 2-year-old son choked to death on food after being locked in a room and left alone in his house, will be sentenced Monday to two years in prison.
By John Penney Posted Mar. 3, 2016 at 1:52 PM
DANIELSON — A Putnam man is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday to two years in prison for his role in the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son.
David Mahan, 31, pleaded guilty in January to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child, according to prosecutors in the Danielson Superior Court’s state’s attorney’s office. Under a plea agreement, Mahan will be sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
Mahan and his former girlfriend, Renee Peterson, 33, were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the death of Mahan’s son inside the couple’s apartment at 129 Mechanics St.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2014, Peterson left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours on the day of the incident with bowls of dry cereal while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.
Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.
After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or mass of chewed food. The death was ruled a homicide.
Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone for several hours a day since mid March of 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.
Shortly after the boy’s death, Mahan was arrested by Massachusetts state police on fugitive from justice charges.
In August, Peterson was sentenced to serve five years of a seven-year sentence, along with five years of probation. She pleaded guilty on June 5 to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury charges in the child’s death.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Custodial dad to be sentenced in death of 2-year-old son (Danielson, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as DAVID MAHAN. We've posted on this case before. Still no explanation as to how this neglectful dad and his drug-addicted girlfriend got custody.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for the state of Connecticut.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20160108/putnam-father-to-be-sentenced-to-two-years-in-toddler-sons-death
Putnam father to be sentenced to two years in toddler son's death
By John Penney
Posted Jan. 8, 2016 at 11:36 AM Updated Jan 8, 2016 at 12:59 PM
DANIELSON — A Putnam man will be sentenced in March to spend two years in prison for his role in the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son.
David Mahan, 31, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child, according to prosecutors in the Danielson Superior Court’s state’s attorney’s office. Under a plea agreement, Mahan on March 1 is scheduled to be sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
Mahan and his former girlfriend, Renee Peterson, 33, were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the death of Mahan’s son inside the couple’s apartment at 129 Mechanics St.
According to court documents, Peterson on March 26, 2014, left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours on the day of the incident with bowls of dry cereal while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.
Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.
After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to DayKimball Hospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or mass of chewed food. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone several hours a day since mid-March of 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.
Shortly after the boy’s death, Mahan was arrested by Massachusetts state police on fugitive from justice charges.
In August, Peterson was sentenced to serve five years of a seven-year sentence, along with five years of probation. She pleaded guilty on June 5 to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury charges in the child’s death.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for the state of Connecticut.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20160108/putnam-father-to-be-sentenced-to-two-years-in-toddler-sons-death
Putnam father to be sentenced to two years in toddler son's death
By John Penney
Posted Jan. 8, 2016 at 11:36 AM Updated Jan 8, 2016 at 12:59 PM
DANIELSON — A Putnam man will be sentenced in March to spend two years in prison for his role in the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son.
David Mahan, 31, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child, according to prosecutors in the Danielson Superior Court’s state’s attorney’s office. Under a plea agreement, Mahan on March 1 is scheduled to be sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
Mahan and his former girlfriend, Renee Peterson, 33, were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the death of Mahan’s son inside the couple’s apartment at 129 Mechanics St.
According to court documents, Peterson on March 26, 2014, left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours on the day of the incident with bowls of dry cereal while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.
Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.
After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to DayKimball Hospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or mass of chewed food. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone several hours a day since mid-March of 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.
Shortly after the boy’s death, Mahan was arrested by Massachusetts state police on fugitive from justice charges.
In August, Peterson was sentenced to serve five years of a seven-year sentence, along with five years of probation. She pleaded guilty on June 5 to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury charges in the child’s death.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
"Custody dispute" dad pleads not guilty to throwing 7-month-old son off bridge (Middletown, Connecticut)
Okaay. So now Daddy's going to argue that he's crazy, so he's not guilty of throwing his infant son off the bridge. But golly, just a few days earlier, the Judge thought he was just fine when he denied the baby's mother a restraining order.
Dad is identified as TONY MORENO. We've posted on him before.
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/11/father-accused-of-throwing-baby-off-connecticut-bridge-pleads-not-guilty
Father accused of throwing baby off Connecticut bridge pleads not guilty
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Friday, September 11, 2015 01:52 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, September 11, 2015 02:03 PM EDT
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- A man accused of throwing his 7-month-old son off a bridge into the Connecticut River has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Police say 21-year-old Tony Moreno threw his son Aaden off the Arrigoni Bridge on July 5. A police affidavit states Moreno called his mother from the bridge asking her to pick up a phone with pictures of the baby and a stroller. Police say he then jumped over the railing into the river once she arrived with his brother and police officers.
Documents show Moreno and Aaden's mother were going through a custody dispute. A judge denied a permanent restraining order against him days earlier.
He appeared Thursday in Superior Court in Middletown. His public defender would not say if Moreno is planning to pursue an insanity defence.
Dad is identified as TONY MORENO. We've posted on him before.
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/11/father-accused-of-throwing-baby-off-connecticut-bridge-pleads-not-guilty
Father accused of throwing baby off Connecticut bridge pleads not guilty
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Friday, September 11, 2015 01:52 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, September 11, 2015 02:03 PM EDT
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- A man accused of throwing his 7-month-old son off a bridge into the Connecticut River has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Police say 21-year-old Tony Moreno threw his son Aaden off the Arrigoni Bridge on July 5. A police affidavit states Moreno called his mother from the bridge asking her to pick up a phone with pictures of the baby and a stroller. Police say he then jumped over the railing into the river once she arrived with his brother and police officers.
Documents show Moreno and Aaden's mother were going through a custody dispute. A judge denied a permanent restraining order against him days earlier.
He appeared Thursday in Superior Court in Middletown. His public defender would not say if Moreno is planning to pursue an insanity defence.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
"Custody dispute" dad who threw 7-month-old baby off bridge to face judge (Middletown, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as TONY MORENO. The judge who allowed him to do this is Barry Pinkus.
http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/doc55ae4937b515b140041053.txt
Father charged with throwing baby off bridge faces a judge
Middletown man charged in the death of 7-month-old
MIDDLETOWN (AP) — A 21-year-old Middletown man accused of throwing his infant son off the Arrigoni Bridge and into the Connecticut River faces a judge to answer a murder charge.
Tony Moreno is scheduled to appear in Middlesex Superior Court Tuesday, charged in the death of 7-month-old Aaden Moreno.
Moreno has been held in a state Department of Correction medical unit under suicide watch since jumping off the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown on July 5, shortly after the baby was thrown into the water.
The child's body was later found two days later in East Haddam, south of where his father jumped.
Police say Tony Moreno has admitted throwing his son off the bridge.
The boy's 19-year-old mother, Adrianne Oyola, was denied a restraining order last month amid a bitter custody dispute.
http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/doc55ae4937b515b140041053.txt
Father charged with throwing baby off bridge faces a judge
Middletown man charged in the death of 7-month-old
MIDDLETOWN (AP) — A 21-year-old Middletown man accused of throwing his infant son off the Arrigoni Bridge and into the Connecticut River faces a judge to answer a murder charge.
Tony Moreno is scheduled to appear in Middlesex Superior Court Tuesday, charged in the death of 7-month-old Aaden Moreno.
Moreno has been held in a state Department of Correction medical unit under suicide watch since jumping off the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown on July 5, shortly after the baby was thrown into the water.
The child's body was later found two days later in East Haddam, south of where his father jumped.
Police say Tony Moreno has admitted throwing his son off the bridge.
The boy's 19-year-old mother, Adrianne Oyola, was denied a restraining order last month amid a bitter custody dispute.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Judge Barry C. Pinkus fails protective mom, so dad throws baby in the river and kills him (Middletown, Connecticut)
Judge Barry C. Pinkus is a condescending prick. And as far as I'm concerned, he's an accessory to murder.
Dad is identified as TONY MORENO.
Sadly reminiscent of the 2010 murder of 9-month-old Wyatt Garcia in California.
http://www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20150709/judge-in-middletown-rejected-no-contact-order-filed-by-aaden-morenos-mother-due-to-lack-of-imminent-harm
Judge in Middletown rejected no-contact order filed by Aaden Moreno’s mother due to lack of ‘imminent harm’
Joe Campbell, 43, protests outside the Middletown Superior Court Thursday morning, as Tony Moreno’s court-appointed public defender was appearing before Judge Gold. Campbell said he wants Judge Barry C. Pinkus held accountable for his ruling in the Aaden Moreno custody case. Brian Zahn — Middletown Press
By Brian Zahn, The Middletown Press Posted: 07/09/15, 12:03 PM EDT | Updated: 4 days ago MIDDLETOWN
Just seven days before Tony Moreno allegedly threw his infant into the Connecticut River, a judge rejected a no-contact order request against him for the 7-month-old and his mother Adrianna Oyola, citing a lack of “imminent harm,” court documents show.
Just before midnight Sunday, Moreno, 21, flung Aaden Moreno into the Connecticut River from where he stood on the Arrigoni Bridge, he admitted in a sworn statement, according to police.
He jumped minutes later while officers, alerted by a 911 call from a family member, watched him climbing over the railing, according to court documents.
He was taken by Lifestar to Hartford Hospital early Monday. Tuesday, spokesperson Tina Varona said Moreno was listed in critical condition. Thursday afternoon, when Director of Media Relations Rebecca Stewart was asked if Moreno was still there she responded, “He’s not our patient.”
Emails to the state Department of Correction media personnel asking if Moreno was in their custody were not answered by press time.
This week’s tragic events and revelations by the court and police have rocked the community and the families of the parents — and have made the national news all week.
Meanwhile, a transcript of court proceedings on June 29 details that Judge Barry C. Pinkus criticized Oyola, 19, and Moreno for “acting like children.” “(Y)ou need to grow up and deal with each other as adults, and you’re not doing that right now,” he said.
The hearing, which followed an order put in place on June 17 by Judge Edward Domnarski, was apparently the final case Pinkus heard before the court went into recess.
When Oyola applied for the restraining order on June 29, she said she did not know where Aaden was, as both Tony and Aaden went missing from a bedroom following a fight she had with Tony.
The fight concerned Oyola’s intention to take Aaden with her to dinner to see his grandfather. She said Moreno physically blocked her path from taking the baby, according to the court. Moreno told Pinkus that Oyola was throwing a “temper tantrum” and he did not want her to have custody of their son if she was going to act emotional, the documents say.
When Pinkus questioned Oyola on claims written in her application for a restraining order, she said Moreno is emotionally, and sometimes physically, abusive to her, the arraignment says.
In the affidavit, Oyola wrote that Moreno made various threats about making her disappear and sometimes shouted at their son if he was making too much noise. She also said Moreno hid two of her dresses the day of her high school graduation June 17, saying he thought it would be “funny.”
In court June 29, Moreno told Pinkus that on June 17 he took Aaden to a friend’s house for two hours and when he returned home, a family member sent him a screen shot that read: “did you know Tony’s baby is on Facebook?”
It was a photo and solicitation for information if anybody saw he or Aaden, court documents say.
It’s unclear who had posted the photograph on social media and where. #According to Moreno’s sworn statement, he made no attempt to contact Oyola when he took Aaden because his cell phone was broken.
Oyola said she filed for the restraining order because she did not know where her ex-boyfriend and son were on June 17.
On June 26, a friend of Moreno’s contacted the infant’s mother and reportedly said Moreno’s “mother, or her mother, was sick and wanted to see me and the baby.”
When Oyola arrived, Moreno allegedly rounded the corner and told her to sit down and demanded her phone. He allegedly threatened her that a lawyer said she could spend a year in jail if she didn’t cooperate with him and “make him happy.”
Oyola said she only lived with Moreno because it was all she could afford financially, but she had recently moved in with her two sisters, nephew and brother-in-law.
After Pinkus reviewed the facts of Oyola’s application, he declared that the issue seemed to pertain more to custody than protection.
“Are you afraid he’s going to come over and beat you up?” Pinkus asked.
“Sometimes,” Oyola said. “I feel like he’s always there, and it’s creepy.”
Moreno told the judge that Oyola acts in a way that is not “pleasant” and he did not want her to have the baby if she had a bad attitude.
“I’m just not convinced that there’s a continuous threat of present physical pain or physical injury,” Pinkus said in court. “Somebody needs to go downstairs and file a custody application, and you need to work out a parental rights agreement where the child is going to be, when the child is going to be with mom, when the child is going to be with dad, work out a child support order.”
According to Lt. Heather Desmond, at the same time, the Police Department was in the process of investigating the case against Moreno for two counts of violating a restraining order for the June 26 incident.
As Moreno’s court-appointed public defender, Jay McKay, was in Middletown Superior Court Thursday morning, outside a lone protester stood with a placard that criticized the judge.
The case had been moved to the Part A docket in the Middlesex Judicial District before Judge David Gold, where felony cases are typically handled.
Joe Campbell, 43, paced Court Street with a neon green sign, though barely legible from 20 feet away.
“Judge Barry C. Pinkus needs to be held accountable for his terrible handling of Aaden’s case,” he wrote.
Campbell, a Berlin native and father of four children, said he has been unable to sleep since reading news of the transcript.
“[Pinkus] was horrible to a 19-year-old,” Campbell said about the judge’s dismissal.
According to a transcript, Pinkus told Oyola and Moreno that he simply believed they did not have a good relationship, but he did not believe there was any danger involved. #Campbell said he believed Pinkus attempted to “mix up” Oyola’s words in court. “It seemed he was against the mother,” Campbell said.
Chief Court Administrator Patrick L. Carroll III said in a statement Wednesday that Pinkus’ ruling in the custody hearing “is representative of the difficult decisions that judges must make each and every day.”
“These discretionary decisions are made after an assessment of the evidence that is presented and in accordance with applicable state law,” Carroll said. “Yet even with a deliberative process, it is impossible for judges to predict the future with certainty.”
Dad is identified as TONY MORENO.
Sadly reminiscent of the 2010 murder of 9-month-old Wyatt Garcia in California.
http://www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20150709/judge-in-middletown-rejected-no-contact-order-filed-by-aaden-morenos-mother-due-to-lack-of-imminent-harm
Judge in Middletown rejected no-contact order filed by Aaden Moreno’s mother due to lack of ‘imminent harm’
Joe Campbell, 43, protests outside the Middletown Superior Court Thursday morning, as Tony Moreno’s court-appointed public defender was appearing before Judge Gold. Campbell said he wants Judge Barry C. Pinkus held accountable for his ruling in the Aaden Moreno custody case. Brian Zahn — Middletown Press
By Brian Zahn, The Middletown Press Posted: 07/09/15, 12:03 PM EDT | Updated: 4 days ago MIDDLETOWN
Just seven days before Tony Moreno allegedly threw his infant into the Connecticut River, a judge rejected a no-contact order request against him for the 7-month-old and his mother Adrianna Oyola, citing a lack of “imminent harm,” court documents show.
Just before midnight Sunday, Moreno, 21, flung Aaden Moreno into the Connecticut River from where he stood on the Arrigoni Bridge, he admitted in a sworn statement, according to police.
He jumped minutes later while officers, alerted by a 911 call from a family member, watched him climbing over the railing, according to court documents.
He was taken by Lifestar to Hartford Hospital early Monday. Tuesday, spokesperson Tina Varona said Moreno was listed in critical condition. Thursday afternoon, when Director of Media Relations Rebecca Stewart was asked if Moreno was still there she responded, “He’s not our patient.”
Emails to the state Department of Correction media personnel asking if Moreno was in their custody were not answered by press time.
This week’s tragic events and revelations by the court and police have rocked the community and the families of the parents — and have made the national news all week.
Meanwhile, a transcript of court proceedings on June 29 details that Judge Barry C. Pinkus criticized Oyola, 19, and Moreno for “acting like children.” “(Y)ou need to grow up and deal with each other as adults, and you’re not doing that right now,” he said.
The hearing, which followed an order put in place on June 17 by Judge Edward Domnarski, was apparently the final case Pinkus heard before the court went into recess.
When Oyola applied for the restraining order on June 29, she said she did not know where Aaden was, as both Tony and Aaden went missing from a bedroom following a fight she had with Tony.
The fight concerned Oyola’s intention to take Aaden with her to dinner to see his grandfather. She said Moreno physically blocked her path from taking the baby, according to the court. Moreno told Pinkus that Oyola was throwing a “temper tantrum” and he did not want her to have custody of their son if she was going to act emotional, the documents say.
When Pinkus questioned Oyola on claims written in her application for a restraining order, she said Moreno is emotionally, and sometimes physically, abusive to her, the arraignment says.
In the affidavit, Oyola wrote that Moreno made various threats about making her disappear and sometimes shouted at their son if he was making too much noise. She also said Moreno hid two of her dresses the day of her high school graduation June 17, saying he thought it would be “funny.”
In court June 29, Moreno told Pinkus that on June 17 he took Aaden to a friend’s house for two hours and when he returned home, a family member sent him a screen shot that read: “did you know Tony’s baby is on Facebook?”
It was a photo and solicitation for information if anybody saw he or Aaden, court documents say.
It’s unclear who had posted the photograph on social media and where. #According to Moreno’s sworn statement, he made no attempt to contact Oyola when he took Aaden because his cell phone was broken.
Oyola said she filed for the restraining order because she did not know where her ex-boyfriend and son were on June 17.
On June 26, a friend of Moreno’s contacted the infant’s mother and reportedly said Moreno’s “mother, or her mother, was sick and wanted to see me and the baby.”
When Oyola arrived, Moreno allegedly rounded the corner and told her to sit down and demanded her phone. He allegedly threatened her that a lawyer said she could spend a year in jail if she didn’t cooperate with him and “make him happy.”
Oyola said she only lived with Moreno because it was all she could afford financially, but she had recently moved in with her two sisters, nephew and brother-in-law.
After Pinkus reviewed the facts of Oyola’s application, he declared that the issue seemed to pertain more to custody than protection.
“Are you afraid he’s going to come over and beat you up?” Pinkus asked.
“Sometimes,” Oyola said. “I feel like he’s always there, and it’s creepy.”
Moreno told the judge that Oyola acts in a way that is not “pleasant” and he did not want her to have the baby if she had a bad attitude.
“I’m just not convinced that there’s a continuous threat of present physical pain or physical injury,” Pinkus said in court. “Somebody needs to go downstairs and file a custody application, and you need to work out a parental rights agreement where the child is going to be, when the child is going to be with mom, when the child is going to be with dad, work out a child support order.”
According to Lt. Heather Desmond, at the same time, the Police Department was in the process of investigating the case against Moreno for two counts of violating a restraining order for the June 26 incident.
As Moreno’s court-appointed public defender, Jay McKay, was in Middletown Superior Court Thursday morning, outside a lone protester stood with a placard that criticized the judge.
The case had been moved to the Part A docket in the Middlesex Judicial District before Judge David Gold, where felony cases are typically handled.
Joe Campbell, 43, paced Court Street with a neon green sign, though barely legible from 20 feet away.
“Judge Barry C. Pinkus needs to be held accountable for his terrible handling of Aaden’s case,” he wrote.
Campbell, a Berlin native and father of four children, said he has been unable to sleep since reading news of the transcript.
“[Pinkus] was horrible to a 19-year-old,” Campbell said about the judge’s dismissal.
According to a transcript, Pinkus told Oyola and Moreno that he simply believed they did not have a good relationship, but he did not believe there was any danger involved. #Campbell said he believed Pinkus attempted to “mix up” Oyola’s words in court. “It seemed he was against the mother,” Campbell said.
Chief Court Administrator Patrick L. Carroll III said in a statement Wednesday that Pinkus’ ruling in the custody hearing “is representative of the difficult decisions that judges must make each and every day.”
“These discretionary decisions are made after an assessment of the evidence that is presented and in accordance with applicable state law,” Carroll said. “Yet even with a deliberative process, it is impossible for judges to predict the future with certainty.”
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Dad in custody fight kills 7-month-old son after mom denied restraining order (Middletown, Connecticut)
This is what happens when those in authority choose to believe men and ignore the concerns of women. Once again, a child is dead because some (unnamed) judge blew off the mother's (legitimate) fears. When are these people going to be held responsible for their crimes?
The killer dad, who was also in a custody fight with the mother (big surprise) is identified as TONY MORENO. So it appears we have a new addition to the Killer Dads and Custody list for Connecticut.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-middletown-baby-search-0707-20150706-story.html
Mother Of Baby Who Plunged Into River Feared For Child's Safety, Records Show
Police tape on the Arrigoni Bridge where officials say 22-year-old Tony Moreno jumped with his 7-month-old son Aaden Moreno.
Tony Moreno survived the fall into the Connecticut River and was taken to the hospital.
The child's body has not yet been recovered from the water.
Police are searching the Connecticut River for 7-month-old Aaden Moreno who plunged into the water when his father jumped from the Arrigoni Bridge Sunday night.
By Christine Dempsey and Shawn R. Beals
Mother of baby who plunged into river had filed for restraining order against father who jumped from bridge
Search for baby in Connecticut River classified as a recovery operation
July 6, 2015, 10:11 PM
MIDDLETOWN — The mother of a baby police say likely died after plunging into the Connecticut River Sunday asked authorities weeks ago for a restraining order against the child's father because she feared for the safety of the boy and herself, court records indicate..
Crews began searching the river for 7-month-old Aaden Moreno late Sunday. The child's father, Tony Moreno, 22, jumped from the Arrigoni Bridge and survived, police said. He has not been charged.
The search for a 7-month-old baby who died when his father jumped into the Connecticut River continued Monday, but was reclassified as a recovery effort with the child presumed dead.
Moreno's family called police about 11:45 p.m. on Sunday to say that he was threatening to commit suicide and that he had the baby with him, said police spokeswoman Lt. Heather Desmond.
Court records indicate there is an open child custody case involving Aaden's parents. The records show the baby's mother, Adrianne Oyola, applied for a restraining order against Moreno on June 17 because she feared for her child's and her own safety. Oyola wrote in the application that she and Moreno were happy until she became pregnant, but he began to verbally abuse, threaten and push her.
"He has told me he could make my son disappear any time of the day," she wrote. "He told me how he could make me disappear told me how he could kill me. I sometimes am scared to sleep. He told me he would put me in the ground and put something on me to make me disintegrate faster."
"I can't bring [the baby] around my family without [Moreno's] approval, but he could do anything he wants without letting me know," she wrote. "I feel that he is a danger to my child and me and would like to leave with my child and get full custody."
A temporary restraining order to keep Moreno away from Oyola and the child apparently was in place from June 17 until a hearing on June 29, when a second judge denied the restraining order application. It was unclear from court records Monday why the order was denied.
A neighbor at the home where Moreno and Oyola lived said family members are unable to make any public statements about the case.
Moreno survived the 120-foot fall from the bridge into the Connecticut River and was in stable condition at Hartford Hospital Monday afternoon. Moreno was unable to talk to police in the morning, but by the afternoon was "alert and conscious," police said.
Two police officers who arrived on the bridge after the initial call saw Moreno jump, but did not see the baby with him, Middletown police said in a statement. But sources said witnesses told police they saw a man on the bridge holding a baby over his head.
Emergency crews searched the river throughout the morning while investigators interviewed Moreno's family members and friends to determine whether someone else may have been watching the baby, police said. It was Moreno's scheduled night to have Aaden, Desmond said.
Three fire departments, two police agencies and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection all were involved in the investigation. State and federal agencies searched the river using helicopters.
In a short statement to reporters gathered at Harbor Park Monday afternoon, Desmond said the search for Aaden had shifted from a rescue effort to a recovery operation.
Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew said the police department is working with the Middlesex state's attorney on the investigation and that the department expects to file charges in the case soon.
"Right now our main priority is recovering Aaden and doing everything we can to return him to his family," Drew said. "This is a horrible tragedy. For Aaden to have had his whole life and whole future stolen from him is a tragedy that is almost impossible to put into words. I hope everybody keeps this little boy in their hearts and minds and prayers."
Later Monday night, two family friends organized a prayer vigil for Aaden in Middletown.
Taylor McPherson of Cromwell, who said she is a friend of the Moreno family, said she decided with her friend Diane Bennett to hold the vigil. A few dozen people gathered on the city's South Green at Main and Union streets for prayers and candle-lighting.
"We're showing the family they have the support of the whole community behind them," McPherson said.
Bennett was tying pieces of yarn around the wrists of people who attended the vigil, asking them to wear the simple bracelet until Aaden is found.
"The town needed this," Bennett said. "I know many people were probably home crying today, so we needed somewhere to come and cry as a community. I don't know the family but I know this town." Courant Staff Writers Chris Brodeur and Alaine Griffin contributed to this report.
The killer dad, who was also in a custody fight with the mother (big surprise) is identified as TONY MORENO. So it appears we have a new addition to the Killer Dads and Custody list for Connecticut.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-middletown-baby-search-0707-20150706-story.html
Mother Of Baby Who Plunged Into River Feared For Child's Safety, Records Show
Police tape on the Arrigoni Bridge where officials say 22-year-old Tony Moreno jumped with his 7-month-old son Aaden Moreno.
Tony Moreno survived the fall into the Connecticut River and was taken to the hospital.
The child's body has not yet been recovered from the water.
Police are searching the Connecticut River for 7-month-old Aaden Moreno who plunged into the water when his father jumped from the Arrigoni Bridge Sunday night.
By Christine Dempsey and Shawn R. Beals
Mother of baby who plunged into river had filed for restraining order against father who jumped from bridge
Search for baby in Connecticut River classified as a recovery operation
July 6, 2015, 10:11 PM
MIDDLETOWN — The mother of a baby police say likely died after plunging into the Connecticut River Sunday asked authorities weeks ago for a restraining order against the child's father because she feared for the safety of the boy and herself, court records indicate..
Crews began searching the river for 7-month-old Aaden Moreno late Sunday. The child's father, Tony Moreno, 22, jumped from the Arrigoni Bridge and survived, police said. He has not been charged.
The search for a 7-month-old baby who died when his father jumped into the Connecticut River continued Monday, but was reclassified as a recovery effort with the child presumed dead.
Moreno's family called police about 11:45 p.m. on Sunday to say that he was threatening to commit suicide and that he had the baby with him, said police spokeswoman Lt. Heather Desmond.
Court records indicate there is an open child custody case involving Aaden's parents. The records show the baby's mother, Adrianne Oyola, applied for a restraining order against Moreno on June 17 because she feared for her child's and her own safety. Oyola wrote in the application that she and Moreno were happy until she became pregnant, but he began to verbally abuse, threaten and push her.
"He has told me he could make my son disappear any time of the day," she wrote. "He told me how he could make me disappear told me how he could kill me. I sometimes am scared to sleep. He told me he would put me in the ground and put something on me to make me disintegrate faster."
"I can't bring [the baby] around my family without [Moreno's] approval, but he could do anything he wants without letting me know," she wrote. "I feel that he is a danger to my child and me and would like to leave with my child and get full custody."
A temporary restraining order to keep Moreno away from Oyola and the child apparently was in place from June 17 until a hearing on June 29, when a second judge denied the restraining order application. It was unclear from court records Monday why the order was denied.
A neighbor at the home where Moreno and Oyola lived said family members are unable to make any public statements about the case.
Moreno survived the 120-foot fall from the bridge into the Connecticut River and was in stable condition at Hartford Hospital Monday afternoon. Moreno was unable to talk to police in the morning, but by the afternoon was "alert and conscious," police said.
Two police officers who arrived on the bridge after the initial call saw Moreno jump, but did not see the baby with him, Middletown police said in a statement. But sources said witnesses told police they saw a man on the bridge holding a baby over his head.
Emergency crews searched the river throughout the morning while investigators interviewed Moreno's family members and friends to determine whether someone else may have been watching the baby, police said. It was Moreno's scheduled night to have Aaden, Desmond said.
Three fire departments, two police agencies and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection all were involved in the investigation. State and federal agencies searched the river using helicopters.
In a short statement to reporters gathered at Harbor Park Monday afternoon, Desmond said the search for Aaden had shifted from a rescue effort to a recovery operation.
Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew said the police department is working with the Middlesex state's attorney on the investigation and that the department expects to file charges in the case soon.
"Right now our main priority is recovering Aaden and doing everything we can to return him to his family," Drew said. "This is a horrible tragedy. For Aaden to have had his whole life and whole future stolen from him is a tragedy that is almost impossible to put into words. I hope everybody keeps this little boy in their hearts and minds and prayers."
Later Monday night, two family friends organized a prayer vigil for Aaden in Middletown.
Taylor McPherson of Cromwell, who said she is a friend of the Moreno family, said she decided with her friend Diane Bennett to hold the vigil. A few dozen people gathered on the city's South Green at Main and Union streets for prayers and candle-lighting.
"We're showing the family they have the support of the whole community behind them," McPherson said.
Bennett was tying pieces of yarn around the wrists of people who attended the vigil, asking them to wear the simple bracelet until Aaden is found.
"The town needed this," Bennett said. "I know many people were probably home crying today, so we needed somewhere to come and cry as a community. I don't know the family but I know this town." Courant Staff Writers Chris Brodeur and Alaine Griffin contributed to this report.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Dad charged with manslaughter after alcohol found in blood of 5-month-old son during autopsy (Norwalk, Connecticut)
Notice that dad JORGE CHICLANA also has a history of domestic violence. Not a big surprise. Men who choke their wives are statistically very dangerous around their kids as we see here.
http://foxct.com/2015/05/19/father-arrested-after-alcohol-found-in-his-infant-sons-blood-during-autopsy/
Father arrested after alcohol found in his infant son’s blood during autopsy
Posted 6:42 PM, May 19, 2015, by Tony Terzi, Updated at 06:43pm, May 19, 2015
NORWALK–Jorge Chiclana, 22, had no previous criminal record, but when his 5-month-old boy was found unresponsive in his crib last year, Chiclana’s now ex-wife, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, could think of no other suspect.
Five months after the May 16, 2014 death of Jacob Isaiah Chiclana, the state lab for toxicology issued a report saying the contents of the baby’s bottle contained 20 percent ethanol by weight, equivalent to 25 percent alcohol by volume, meaning a 50-proof cocktail.
“Police were looking into that and kept asking me if I saw him do it,” said Odalis Galarza, the baby’s mother. “I personally did not see him do that.”
She was referring to Chiclana, who was arraigned in Norwalk Superior Court on charges of second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor.
“I do know he made the bottle and, because it looked normal, I fed my son,” said Galarza. “You know, after three years of him doing this (making bottles), I would never have thought of ever looking into the bottles.”
Jorge Chiclana and Odalis Galarza have two children together. She says he swore up-and-down to her that he did not put alcohol in the baby’s bottle. But, his actions, she insists, said otherwise.
“He kept disappearing for short periods of time,” Galarza said. “He flew off to Puerto Rico. He kept changing his number every single time I gave the detective his new number.”
According to Galarza, her ex-husband started spray-painting a large toy inside their apartment the night before the baby’s death. Given the baby’s asthma, Galarza thought the paint fumes might be responsible for his death. But she didn’t want to question Chiclana too much on the matter because of an incident that happened just weeks before baby Jacob was born in December 2013.
“He got upset and he choked me in front of the kids and that’s when the Department of Children and Families came into our lives the first time,” claims Galarza.
It was revealed today in court that Chiclana, who was apprehended by U.S. Marshals Monday at the Honeyspot Inn motel in Stratford, has a history of mental health issues. The manager of the motel told Fox CT Chiclana had been staying there for two or three days in a room that was reserved in his mother’s name.
Chiclana’s case was transferred to Stamford Superior Court, where he is next due to appear on June 2.
According to a police report, police seized three cans of Krylon spray paint and a fan that Chiclana said he was using for ventilation for the painting project.
Two days after the child died, Dr. Susan Williams of the chief medical examiner’s office stated that the infant appeared to have died by asphyxiation due to aspiration. However, the cause remained unknown until further toxicology tests were performed on the infant’s tissue samples and his lungs were examined.
On August 18, 2014, Norwalk investigators received information from the office of the chief medical examiner that the victim had alcohol in his liver tissue and urine consistent with a .04 blood alcohol content.
A week before Jacob’s death, there was a poisoning incident in their home involving their then 16-month-old toddler. The baby had ingested liquid incense, which Galarza said Chiclana poured into container he left within reach of the child.
On March 16 of this year, Norwalk police received autopsy reports saying alcohol was present in the blood liver, gastric contents and urine. The cause of death remained undetermined, as did the manner of death.
The medical examiner’s office determined the child’s lungs were clear and the child did not die of aspiration, as originally thought. The OCME said he most likely died due to the fact that the asthmatic child was placed faced face down in the crib, which could affect the child’s breathing, especially given the central nervous system was depressed due to the presence of alcohol.
http://foxct.com/2015/05/19/father-arrested-after-alcohol-found-in-his-infant-sons-blood-during-autopsy/
Father arrested after alcohol found in his infant son’s blood during autopsy
Posted 6:42 PM, May 19, 2015, by Tony Terzi, Updated at 06:43pm, May 19, 2015
NORWALK–Jorge Chiclana, 22, had no previous criminal record, but when his 5-month-old boy was found unresponsive in his crib last year, Chiclana’s now ex-wife, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, could think of no other suspect.
Five months after the May 16, 2014 death of Jacob Isaiah Chiclana, the state lab for toxicology issued a report saying the contents of the baby’s bottle contained 20 percent ethanol by weight, equivalent to 25 percent alcohol by volume, meaning a 50-proof cocktail.
“Police were looking into that and kept asking me if I saw him do it,” said Odalis Galarza, the baby’s mother. “I personally did not see him do that.”
She was referring to Chiclana, who was arraigned in Norwalk Superior Court on charges of second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor.
“I do know he made the bottle and, because it looked normal, I fed my son,” said Galarza. “You know, after three years of him doing this (making bottles), I would never have thought of ever looking into the bottles.”
Jorge Chiclana and Odalis Galarza have two children together. She says he swore up-and-down to her that he did not put alcohol in the baby’s bottle. But, his actions, she insists, said otherwise.
“He kept disappearing for short periods of time,” Galarza said. “He flew off to Puerto Rico. He kept changing his number every single time I gave the detective his new number.”
According to Galarza, her ex-husband started spray-painting a large toy inside their apartment the night before the baby’s death. Given the baby’s asthma, Galarza thought the paint fumes might be responsible for his death. But she didn’t want to question Chiclana too much on the matter because of an incident that happened just weeks before baby Jacob was born in December 2013.
“He got upset and he choked me in front of the kids and that’s when the Department of Children and Families came into our lives the first time,” claims Galarza.
It was revealed today in court that Chiclana, who was apprehended by U.S. Marshals Monday at the Honeyspot Inn motel in Stratford, has a history of mental health issues. The manager of the motel told Fox CT Chiclana had been staying there for two or three days in a room that was reserved in his mother’s name.
Chiclana’s case was transferred to Stamford Superior Court, where he is next due to appear on June 2.
According to a police report, police seized three cans of Krylon spray paint and a fan that Chiclana said he was using for ventilation for the painting project.
Two days after the child died, Dr. Susan Williams of the chief medical examiner’s office stated that the infant appeared to have died by asphyxiation due to aspiration. However, the cause remained unknown until further toxicology tests were performed on the infant’s tissue samples and his lungs were examined.
On August 18, 2014, Norwalk investigators received information from the office of the chief medical examiner that the victim had alcohol in his liver tissue and urine consistent with a .04 blood alcohol content.
A week before Jacob’s death, there was a poisoning incident in their home involving their then 16-month-old toddler. The baby had ingested liquid incense, which Galarza said Chiclana poured into container he left within reach of the child.
On March 16 of this year, Norwalk police received autopsy reports saying alcohol was present in the blood liver, gastric contents and urine. The cause of death remained undetermined, as did the manner of death.
The medical examiner’s office determined the child’s lungs were clear and the child did not die of aspiration, as originally thought. The OCME said he most likely died due to the fact that the asthmatic child was placed faced face down in the crib, which could affect the child’s breathing, especially given the central nervous system was depressed due to the presence of alcohol.
Dad charged with manslaughter in death of infant son (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as JORGE E. CHICLANA.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-norwalk-manslaughter-arrest-0519-20150518-story.html
Bridgeport Father Charged In Infant Son's Death
By Nicholas Rondinone
A Bridgeport father was charged in connection with the death of his infant child
May 18, 2015, 11:07 PM
NORWALK — A Bridgeport man was charged Monday in the death of his infant son last year, police said.. The 5-month-old child was found not breathing in an apartment on Ely Avenue last May, police said. The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Jorge E. Chiclana, 22, of Manila Place, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury, police said. He was tracked down with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released a report on the child's death in March that said the infant had an elevated amounts of alcohol in his system.
Chiclana was held on $75,000 bond, police said.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-norwalk-manslaughter-arrest-0519-20150518-story.html
Bridgeport Father Charged In Infant Son's Death
By Nicholas Rondinone
A Bridgeport father was charged in connection with the death of his infant child
May 18, 2015, 11:07 PM
NORWALK — A Bridgeport man was charged Monday in the death of his infant son last year, police said.. The 5-month-old child was found not breathing in an apartment on Ely Avenue last May, police said. The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Jorge E. Chiclana, 22, of Manila Place, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury, police said. He was tracked down with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released a report on the child's death in March that said the infant had an elevated amounts of alcohol in his system.
Chiclana was held on $75,000 bond, police said.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Dad charged with assauting 3-month-old baby (Plainfield, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as SHAWN SIEGRIST. No mention of a mother in the home.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20150430/NEWS/150439949/1994
Plainfield father charged with assault in alleged child abuse case involving 3-month-old
By Adam Benson
The Bulletin
Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 3:29 PM Updated Apr 30, 2015 at 4:48 PM
PLAINFIELD - State police arrested a Plainfield father today on a warrant charging him in connection with a December assault on his 3-month-old infant in Brooklyn.
Shawn Siegrist, 26, of 16 Cranska Drive, was taken into custody at 11 a.m. at his home and charged with second-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor.
According to police, detectives with the Eastern District Major Crime Squad began investigating after the report of child abuse of a 3-month-old. The incident occurred Dec. 3.
The baby was taken to The William W. Backus Hospital’s emergency center and then moved to the Connecticut Children’s Memorial Hospital for further medical evaluation and treatment.
After a lengthy investigation, detectives said they found a history of unexplained injuries to the infant and obtained a warrant for Siegrist’s arrest.
He is being held on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear Friday in Danielson Superior Court.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20150430/NEWS/150439949/1994
Plainfield father charged with assault in alleged child abuse case involving 3-month-old
By Adam Benson
The Bulletin
Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 3:29 PM Updated Apr 30, 2015 at 4:48 PM
PLAINFIELD - State police arrested a Plainfield father today on a warrant charging him in connection with a December assault on his 3-month-old infant in Brooklyn.
Shawn Siegrist, 26, of 16 Cranska Drive, was taken into custody at 11 a.m. at his home and charged with second-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor.
According to police, detectives with the Eastern District Major Crime Squad began investigating after the report of child abuse of a 3-month-old. The incident occurred Dec. 3.
The baby was taken to The William W. Backus Hospital’s emergency center and then moved to the Connecticut Children’s Memorial Hospital for further medical evaluation and treatment.
After a lengthy investigation, detectives said they found a history of unexplained injuries to the infant and obtained a warrant for Siegrist’s arrest.
He is being held on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear Friday in Danielson Superior Court.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Dad claims infant daughter accidentally hit her head, but searched "shaken baby syndrome" after she was injured; baby has fractured skull and dad charged with assault (Waterbury, Connecticut)
Having examined hundreds of these cases before, I can reasonably speculate what really happened. The father became "frustrated" during a routine diaper change (this is surprisingly common especially with male caregivers), and bashed the baby's skull. He did a quick Internet search under shaken baby, then decided to do a cover-up using the classic Clumsy Daddy excuse. It's numbingly routine at this point...Notice that there is no mention of a mother in the home. Makes me wonder if dad was playing the caretaker role while Mom worked for a living. That is also very common .
Daddy is identified as BENJAMIN MARSHALL.
http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2015/04/01/court-documents-father-did-internet-search-on-shaken-baby/
Court Documents: Father Did Internet Search On “Shaken Baby”
April 1, 2015 2:20 PM
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) _ Court documents show a 21-year-old Woodbury man whose daughter suffered a head injury last June had searched the term “shaken baby syndrome” on his smart phone shortly after the girl was injured.
Benjamin Marshall is free on a $50,000 bond after his arraignment Monday on an assault charge. Marshall told police he was changing his daughter when he received a chat message and become distracted. He said he caught the child as she fell from the changing table, but the baby hit her head.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, police searched the phone and found four searches for “shaken baby syndrome.”
The baby was treated at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury for a fractured skull.
Attempts to reach Marshall for comment Wednesday were not successful.
Daddy is identified as BENJAMIN MARSHALL.
http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2015/04/01/court-documents-father-did-internet-search-on-shaken-baby/
Court Documents: Father Did Internet Search On “Shaken Baby”
April 1, 2015 2:20 PM
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) _ Court documents show a 21-year-old Woodbury man whose daughter suffered a head injury last June had searched the term “shaken baby syndrome” on his smart phone shortly after the girl was injured.
Benjamin Marshall is free on a $50,000 bond after his arraignment Monday on an assault charge. Marshall told police he was changing his daughter when he received a chat message and become distracted. He said he caught the child as she fell from the changing table, but the baby hit her head.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, police searched the phone and found four searches for “shaken baby syndrome.”
The baby was treated at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury for a fractured skull.
Attempts to reach Marshall for comment Wednesday were not successful.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Dad arrested for biting 6-week-old daughter; wanted to make her stop crying (Stamford, Connecticut)
It is established fact that young adult males are especially dangerous around young infants. Too many of them are too volatile or easily frustrated to do caretaking
No mention of a mother in the home. I seriously doubt there was one. Fathers this young are seldom married or even in a committed relationship. And fathers who have no healthy emotional attachment to the mother are especially dangerous as caretakers.
Dad is identified as FILIPE DEAQUINO.
http://wtnh.com/2015/01/09/teen-dad-arrested-charged-with-biting-his-infant/
Teen dad arrested, charged with biting his infant
By Josh Scheinblum- WTNH Reporter and Rachel Guerra- WTNH Assignment Manager
Published: January 9, 2015, 1:55 pm | Updated: January 9, 2015, 11:21 pm
STAMFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– A teenage father was arrested Wednesday, accused of biting his six-week-old daughter in an attempt to make her stop crying.
The state Department of Children and Families contacted police about suspected child abuse by 18-year-old Felipe Deaquino of Hope Street in Stamford. Police say he admitted he couldn’t get the baby to stop crying, and bit the side of her face make her stop. The baby was taken to an area hospital with a large bruise on her face. At the hospital, doctors also found a burn mark on the baby’s palm. Police are trying to see if it’s a cigarette burn.
News 8 stopped by Deaquino’s home to get his side of the story, but no one came to the door. Neighbors say the news shocked them, and hope measures are taken to make sure Deaquino is unable to harm his child again.
“He has to learn a lesson,” said Larry Perlman, who lives in the apartment below Deaquino. “I think the only way to teach a lesson is to put him in jail, or not let him see his baby for a month, something to give him some situation where he understands what he did was wrong.”
Deaquino was arraigned Thursday in Stamford Superior Court. He’s charged with risk of injury to a minor, two counts of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
The father has been been released and is due back to court on February 10.
No mention of a mother in the home. I seriously doubt there was one. Fathers this young are seldom married or even in a committed relationship. And fathers who have no healthy emotional attachment to the mother are especially dangerous as caretakers.
Dad is identified as FILIPE DEAQUINO.
http://wtnh.com/2015/01/09/teen-dad-arrested-charged-with-biting-his-infant/
Teen dad arrested, charged with biting his infant
By Josh Scheinblum- WTNH Reporter and Rachel Guerra- WTNH Assignment Manager
Published: January 9, 2015, 1:55 pm | Updated: January 9, 2015, 11:21 pm
STAMFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– A teenage father was arrested Wednesday, accused of biting his six-week-old daughter in an attempt to make her stop crying.
The state Department of Children and Families contacted police about suspected child abuse by 18-year-old Felipe Deaquino of Hope Street in Stamford. Police say he admitted he couldn’t get the baby to stop crying, and bit the side of her face make her stop. The baby was taken to an area hospital with a large bruise on her face. At the hospital, doctors also found a burn mark on the baby’s palm. Police are trying to see if it’s a cigarette burn.
News 8 stopped by Deaquino’s home to get his side of the story, but no one came to the door. Neighbors say the news shocked them, and hope measures are taken to make sure Deaquino is unable to harm his child again.
“He has to learn a lesson,” said Larry Perlman, who lives in the apartment below Deaquino. “I think the only way to teach a lesson is to put him in jail, or not let him see his baby for a month, something to give him some situation where he understands what he did was wrong.”
Deaquino was arraigned Thursday in Stamford Superior Court. He’s charged with risk of injury to a minor, two counts of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
The father has been been released and is due back to court on February 10.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Stay-at-home dad shoots and kills 19-year-old son in murder-suicide (Cheshire, Connecticut)
Reminds me of a recent case in Florida where a stay-at-home dad killed two kids in a murder-suicide. In that case, they parents were in the process of getting a divorce and the father wanted full control of everything, just as he had managed to get away with doing pretty much nothing during the marriage. (From my experience and the studies I have seen, "stay-at-home father" is basically a euphemism for an unemployed father who is either unable or unwilling to work for living, but is too "proud" to do anything around the house either, because that would compromise his "masculinity." So it basically become like having another child in house, but one that never grows up.)
Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER P. SETTEMBRI.
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Police-Investigating-Cheshire-Incident-286001931.html
Father, Son Dead in Cheshire Murder-Suicide
By Ari Mason and LeAnne Gendreau
Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014 • Updated at 6:34 PM EST
The town of Cheshire is reeling after a local dad shot and killed his son before taking his own life in their home on Cornwall Avenue, according to a police.
On Wednesday morning, police identified the two as Christopher P. Settembri, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Christopher A. Settembri, both residents of the home at 772 Cornwall Avenue.
The younger Settembri was a recent graduate of Cheshire High School, according to the school system.
Police said investigators discovered the bodies around 4 p.m. Tuesday, and autopsies revealed that both had been dead for hours before authorities were called to the scene.
A neighbor said the elder Settembri was a married father of four and a stay-at-home dad. His wife, who had been unable to reach him by phone, arrived home to discover the scene Tuesday afternoon, but the couple's youngest daughter – still in elementary school – had already discovered the bodies.
"At this point, we don't have any information that would help us to understand why something like this happened," Cheshire police Chief Neil Dryfe said Wednesday. "We have not been able to find a note or any other indication at this time."
Officials said the teen's body was located in a downstairs bedroom. His father was found in an upstairs bathroom, with an apparent self-inflicted wound. Police said both were shot once.
"Since I live around the corner, you just never know," said 19-year-old Cheshire resident Daniel Byrd. "And especially in this town, if you don't know the family, you know someone that knows the family."
The State Police Major Crimes Division is investigating, and the medical examiner's office was been called out to help. #The road was closed near the Doolittle Elementary School at 735 Cornwall Avenue while authorities work to piece together what happened.
"It's a horrible tragedy anytime you have an untimely death, particularly this close to the holidays," Dryfe said.
Cheshire school Supt. Greg J. Florio released a statement saying support services will be available to all members of the school community "as long as they are required."
"The Cheshire Public Schools staff is well trained and has in place plans to address the impact of this type of incident on students and staff. Our plans include reassuring students that school is a safe place and that if they feel anxious or upset in any way that they should speak to their teacher or any adult in the school who will direct them to the appropriate counseling staff," Florio said.
It's the community's second major loss in a week. Nineteen-year-old Isabella Gozzo died in a crash on Route 9 in Berlin when her boyfriend lost control of the car on Saturday.
"A couple of really big things have happened in the past few years to this community," said Kim Liso-Perez, alluding to the Cheshire home invasion that resulted in the murders of a local mom and two daughters. "It's a small community and everybody is pretty close knit, and there's a lot of close family ties. Everybody knows everybody; it's one of those things."
Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER P. SETTEMBRI.
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Police-Investigating-Cheshire-Incident-286001931.html
Father, Son Dead in Cheshire Murder-Suicide
By Ari Mason and LeAnne Gendreau
Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014 • Updated at 6:34 PM EST
The town of Cheshire is reeling after a local dad shot and killed his son before taking his own life in their home on Cornwall Avenue, according to a police.
On Wednesday morning, police identified the two as Christopher P. Settembri, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Christopher A. Settembri, both residents of the home at 772 Cornwall Avenue.
The younger Settembri was a recent graduate of Cheshire High School, according to the school system.
Police said investigators discovered the bodies around 4 p.m. Tuesday, and autopsies revealed that both had been dead for hours before authorities were called to the scene.
A neighbor said the elder Settembri was a married father of four and a stay-at-home dad. His wife, who had been unable to reach him by phone, arrived home to discover the scene Tuesday afternoon, but the couple's youngest daughter – still in elementary school – had already discovered the bodies.
"At this point, we don't have any information that would help us to understand why something like this happened," Cheshire police Chief Neil Dryfe said Wednesday. "We have not been able to find a note or any other indication at this time."
Officials said the teen's body was located in a downstairs bedroom. His father was found in an upstairs bathroom, with an apparent self-inflicted wound. Police said both were shot once.
"Since I live around the corner, you just never know," said 19-year-old Cheshire resident Daniel Byrd. "And especially in this town, if you don't know the family, you know someone that knows the family."
The State Police Major Crimes Division is investigating, and the medical examiner's office was been called out to help. #The road was closed near the Doolittle Elementary School at 735 Cornwall Avenue while authorities work to piece together what happened.
"It's a horrible tragedy anytime you have an untimely death, particularly this close to the holidays," Dryfe said.
Cheshire school Supt. Greg J. Florio released a statement saying support services will be available to all members of the school community "as long as they are required."
"The Cheshire Public Schools staff is well trained and has in place plans to address the impact of this type of incident on students and staff. Our plans include reassuring students that school is a safe place and that if they feel anxious or upset in any way that they should speak to their teacher or any adult in the school who will direct them to the appropriate counseling staff," Florio said.
It's the community's second major loss in a week. Nineteen-year-old Isabella Gozzo died in a crash on Route 9 in Berlin when her boyfriend lost control of the car on Saturday.
"A couple of really big things have happened in the past few years to this community," said Kim Liso-Perez, alluding to the Cheshire home invasion that resulted in the murders of a local mom and two daughters. "It's a small community and everybody is pretty close knit, and there's a lot of close family ties. Everybody knows everybody; it's one of those things."
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Dad pleads guilty to 1st-degree manslaughter in death of 2-month-old son (New London, Connecticut)
Dad ADAM BROWNE was reportedly "watching" the baby when he killed him for crying.
http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2014/10/15/father-pleads-guilty-in-babys-death/
Father Pleads Guilty In Baby’s Death
October 15, 2014 8:48 PM
NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) _ A 24-year-old father has pleaded guilty to fatally shaking his 2-month-old son last year when the baby wouldn’t stop crying.
The Day of New London reports Adam Browne pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Wednesday under the Alford Doctrine. That means he does not agree with all of the state’s allegations but does not want to risk a harsher sentence should he be convicted at trial.
Under the deal with prosecutors, Browne will be sentenced Dec. 11 in New London Superior Court to 14 years in prison followed by five years’ probation. Police said Browne was watching baby Jovanni at home on Oct. 25, 2013, when he shook him.
Browne called police at 2 a.m. and said the child wasn’t breathing. Browne was arrested when Jovanni died the next day at a hospital.
http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2014/10/15/father-pleads-guilty-in-babys-death/
Father Pleads Guilty In Baby’s Death
October 15, 2014 8:48 PM
NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) _ A 24-year-old father has pleaded guilty to fatally shaking his 2-month-old son last year when the baby wouldn’t stop crying.
The Day of New London reports Adam Browne pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Wednesday under the Alford Doctrine. That means he does not agree with all of the state’s allegations but does not want to risk a harsher sentence should he be convicted at trial.
Under the deal with prosecutors, Browne will be sentenced Dec. 11 in New London Superior Court to 14 years in prison followed by five years’ probation. Police said Browne was watching baby Jovanni at home on Oct. 25, 2013, when he shook him.
Browne called police at 2 a.m. and said the child wasn’t breathing. Browne was arrested when Jovanni died the next day at a hospital.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Dad faces 15 years in prison for "worst" case of child abuse involving vicious beatings of 5-year-old son (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as DAQUON GOMILLION.
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Father-faces-15-years-in-worst-child-abuse-case-5797174.php
Father faces 15 years in 'worst' child abuse case
Daniel Tepfer
Updated 9:12 pm, Thursday, October 2, 2014
BRIDGEPORT -- It was the worst case of child abuse local police and state experts said they had ever seen. The 5-year-old boy had numerous scars on both legs, his back and chest; his lip had been split, healed over and split again.
His father now faces 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the abuse Thursday.
"This young child was flogged with a cord over and over again during an extended period of time. A portion of his ear is missing and we still don't know how that occurred," State's Attorney John Smriga told state Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin.
But 23-year-old Daquon Gomillion appeared oblivious to it all. He stood before the judge looking around the courtroom with no sign of concern.
Asked by the judge if he had ever held a job he joked: "Baby-sitting," he said.
During the brief hearing Gomillion pleaded to first-degree assault and risk of injury to a child under the Alford Doctrine. He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 12.
In September 2013, the boy's mother brought the boy to a dentist on East Main Street for a preschool checkup, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
The dentist called the state Department of Children and Families. The boy was subsequently examined by Dr. John Leventhal, of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital.
"This 5-year-old boy has extensive scarring over most of his body," Leventhal said. "The number of scars is too numerous to count and the number exceeds the number that I have ever seen on any other child."
During an interview at the Center for Children and Families, the boy told investigators he had been beaten by Gomillion with a brush and electric cords since he was a baby.
He said the beatings "hurt very bad" and he was made to apologize to Gomillion after each one.
His mother, Jarelis Lugo, was subsequently arrested after police said she admitted Gomillion had been abusing the boy for years. She is awaiting trial on risk-of-injury charges.
Smriga said the boy is now living with his grandparents under the supervision of the state Department of Children and Families.
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Father-faces-15-years-in-worst-child-abuse-case-5797174.php
Father faces 15 years in 'worst' child abuse case
Daniel Tepfer
Updated 9:12 pm, Thursday, October 2, 2014
BRIDGEPORT -- It was the worst case of child abuse local police and state experts said they had ever seen. The 5-year-old boy had numerous scars on both legs, his back and chest; his lip had been split, healed over and split again.
His father now faces 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the abuse Thursday.
"This young child was flogged with a cord over and over again during an extended period of time. A portion of his ear is missing and we still don't know how that occurred," State's Attorney John Smriga told state Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin.
But 23-year-old Daquon Gomillion appeared oblivious to it all. He stood before the judge looking around the courtroom with no sign of concern.
Asked by the judge if he had ever held a job he joked: "Baby-sitting," he said.
During the brief hearing Gomillion pleaded to first-degree assault and risk of injury to a child under the Alford Doctrine. He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 12.
In September 2013, the boy's mother brought the boy to a dentist on East Main Street for a preschool checkup, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
The dentist called the state Department of Children and Families. The boy was subsequently examined by Dr. John Leventhal, of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital.
"This 5-year-old boy has extensive scarring over most of his body," Leventhal said. "The number of scars is too numerous to count and the number exceeds the number that I have ever seen on any other child."
During an interview at the Center for Children and Families, the boy told investigators he had been beaten by Gomillion with a brush and electric cords since he was a baby.
He said the beatings "hurt very bad" and he was made to apologize to Gomillion after each one.
His mother, Jarelis Lugo, was subsequently arrested after police said she admitted Gomillion had been abusing the boy for years. She is awaiting trial on risk-of-injury charges.
Smriga said the boy is now living with his grandparents under the supervision of the state Department of Children and Families.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Dad gets just 7 years for killing 3-month-old daughter (Norwalk, Connecticut)
Classic abuser daddy coddling. This father couldn't even keep his cover story straight.
Dad is identified as JUSTIN SMITH.
http://www.thehour.com/news/nw-courts/norwalk-man-sentenced-to-years-in-prison-for-shaking-baby/article_e88ff87a-45a2-11e4-b11b-0017a43b2370.html
Norwalk man sentenced to 7 years in prison for shaking baby to death
Posted: Friday, September 26, 2014 1:31 pm | Updated: 1:54 pm, Fri Sep 26, 2014.
By STEVE KOBAK Hour Staff Writer
NORWALK — A city man was formally sentenced to seven years in prison Friday at Stamford Superior Court for shaking his 3-month-old infant daughter to death.
Justin Smith, 31, of 8 Highland Court, had accepted a plea deal in May after nearly taking his case to trial. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor in exchange for a sentence of seven years in prison and five years of probation. He also has to perform 100 hours of community service for each year of his probation, undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment and attend parenting classes should he choose to father another child.
A first-degree assault charge was dropped in exchange for the plea.
Hugging and kissing family members before approaching the court, Smith did not exercise his right to speak at sentencing. His mother Suzanne Kipphut said her son is still mourning the loss of his daughter, who died in what she called a “terrible, terrible accident.”
Smith’s attorney Eugene Riccio said Smith’s family is still trying to heal after the child’s death and called the disposition “a fair sentence.”
“The death of an infant is an immeasurable tragedy,” he said.
Detectives from the Youth Bureau of the Norwalk Police Department began investigating the suspected child abuse case after being informed that Hailey had been admitted to Stamford Hospital with serious injuries on July 27, 2011, police said. Investigators soon learned that Hailey had also been admitted to the hospital July 2 with a skull fracture.
Smith told investigators, family members and friends that the family dog, a boxer weighing an estimated 80 to 100 pounds, had accidentally caused the July 2 skull fracture, police said. Smith claimed that the dog had been sleeping with him on the foldout couch bed, and Hailey had been sleeping on the floor on a nesting pillow for infants, police said.
He claimed the dog leapt off of the bed and landed on the baby's head, police said. Detectives interviewed Smith at his residence and noted that the family dog was "friendly and non-aggressive," according to the affidavit.
Smith initially told police that the child's second skull fracture happened after the child projectile vomited while Smith was feeding her, the affidavit states. He said he panicked and may have used too much force when he placed the child on the ground, according to police.
The child's mother, who has not been charged in connection with the case, reported that she was sleeping when the alleged incident occurred, and she was awoken by a loud "bang," according to the affidavit. Smith explained that he made the noise when he accidently kicked a piece of furniture, police said.
The accident occurred at 10 p.m. on July 26, but the child was not admitted to the hospital until 10:30 p.m. on July 27, court documents show. The child was finally taken to the hospital after a visitor held the child and noticed that the baby "kind of plopped against her chest," court documents show. The visitor influenced the child's mother to take the child to the hospital, police said.
As the investigation progressed and detectives probed Smith's story, they found several inconsistencies, and witnesses said that Smith had told them different stories to explain the child's injury, according to the affidavit. Smith also changed his story during follow-up interviews, telling investigators that the baby rolled off of his lap, police said.
One witness said that she saw Smith handle the child "in a rough manner," the affidavit alleges.
Several witnesses told police that Smith was a frequent cocaine user, and at least one witness said that Smith may have been under the influence on the night that the child's skull was fractured, police said. Detectives found out that Smith "acts wild" when under the influence of cocaine, and he did not handle the infant carefully, police said.
Smith also allegedly made incriminating statements while at the hospital, investigators learned.
While Smith was in the hospital, a security guard reported that Smith was crying uncontrollably, and he told the security guard that his child "had brain damage and it was all his fault," the affidavit alleges.
A DCF investigator told detectives that after being informed of Hailey's death, Smith allegedly "kept mumbling, 'Please come back and tell them we didn't do this to you," according to court documents.
Hailey's death was ruled a homicide on Nov. 8, 2011, and the medical examiner said that the baby's death was not caused by a fall, court documents show. In addition to the two skull fractures, the child had hemorrhaging along her spinal column consistent with being shaken, according to State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo, who prosecuted the case.
“Throughout my years as a prosecutor, I’ve handled many of these cases,” Colangelo previously told The Hour. “The injuries that (Smith’s daughter) Haley had could only have come from intentional abuse, based on the examination and review of medical literature. It’s unfortunate that this tragedy happened. The best thing a parent can do when they’re frustrated with their young infant is to put the baby in a crib and walk away.”
Smith was arrested on Nov. 18, 2011 after Detective Michael Murray obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Dad is identified as JUSTIN SMITH.
http://www.thehour.com/news/nw-courts/norwalk-man-sentenced-to-years-in-prison-for-shaking-baby/article_e88ff87a-45a2-11e4-b11b-0017a43b2370.html
Norwalk man sentenced to 7 years in prison for shaking baby to death
Posted: Friday, September 26, 2014 1:31 pm | Updated: 1:54 pm, Fri Sep 26, 2014.
By STEVE KOBAK Hour Staff Writer
NORWALK — A city man was formally sentenced to seven years in prison Friday at Stamford Superior Court for shaking his 3-month-old infant daughter to death.
Justin Smith, 31, of 8 Highland Court, had accepted a plea deal in May after nearly taking his case to trial. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor in exchange for a sentence of seven years in prison and five years of probation. He also has to perform 100 hours of community service for each year of his probation, undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment and attend parenting classes should he choose to father another child.
A first-degree assault charge was dropped in exchange for the plea.
Hugging and kissing family members before approaching the court, Smith did not exercise his right to speak at sentencing. His mother Suzanne Kipphut said her son is still mourning the loss of his daughter, who died in what she called a “terrible, terrible accident.”
Smith’s attorney Eugene Riccio said Smith’s family is still trying to heal after the child’s death and called the disposition “a fair sentence.”
“The death of an infant is an immeasurable tragedy,” he said.
Detectives from the Youth Bureau of the Norwalk Police Department began investigating the suspected child abuse case after being informed that Hailey had been admitted to Stamford Hospital with serious injuries on July 27, 2011, police said. Investigators soon learned that Hailey had also been admitted to the hospital July 2 with a skull fracture.
Smith told investigators, family members and friends that the family dog, a boxer weighing an estimated 80 to 100 pounds, had accidentally caused the July 2 skull fracture, police said. Smith claimed that the dog had been sleeping with him on the foldout couch bed, and Hailey had been sleeping on the floor on a nesting pillow for infants, police said.
He claimed the dog leapt off of the bed and landed on the baby's head, police said. Detectives interviewed Smith at his residence and noted that the family dog was "friendly and non-aggressive," according to the affidavit.
Smith initially told police that the child's second skull fracture happened after the child projectile vomited while Smith was feeding her, the affidavit states. He said he panicked and may have used too much force when he placed the child on the ground, according to police.
The child's mother, who has not been charged in connection with the case, reported that she was sleeping when the alleged incident occurred, and she was awoken by a loud "bang," according to the affidavit. Smith explained that he made the noise when he accidently kicked a piece of furniture, police said.
The accident occurred at 10 p.m. on July 26, but the child was not admitted to the hospital until 10:30 p.m. on July 27, court documents show. The child was finally taken to the hospital after a visitor held the child and noticed that the baby "kind of plopped against her chest," court documents show. The visitor influenced the child's mother to take the child to the hospital, police said.
As the investigation progressed and detectives probed Smith's story, they found several inconsistencies, and witnesses said that Smith had told them different stories to explain the child's injury, according to the affidavit. Smith also changed his story during follow-up interviews, telling investigators that the baby rolled off of his lap, police said.
One witness said that she saw Smith handle the child "in a rough manner," the affidavit alleges.
Several witnesses told police that Smith was a frequent cocaine user, and at least one witness said that Smith may have been under the influence on the night that the child's skull was fractured, police said. Detectives found out that Smith "acts wild" when under the influence of cocaine, and he did not handle the infant carefully, police said.
Smith also allegedly made incriminating statements while at the hospital, investigators learned.
While Smith was in the hospital, a security guard reported that Smith was crying uncontrollably, and he told the security guard that his child "had brain damage and it was all his fault," the affidavit alleges.
A DCF investigator told detectives that after being informed of Hailey's death, Smith allegedly "kept mumbling, 'Please come back and tell them we didn't do this to you," according to court documents.
Hailey's death was ruled a homicide on Nov. 8, 2011, and the medical examiner said that the baby's death was not caused by a fall, court documents show. In addition to the two skull fractures, the child had hemorrhaging along her spinal column consistent with being shaken, according to State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo, who prosecuted the case.
“Throughout my years as a prosecutor, I’ve handled many of these cases,” Colangelo previously told The Hour. “The injuries that (Smith’s daughter) Haley had could only have come from intentional abuse, based on the examination and review of medical literature. It’s unfortunate that this tragedy happened. The best thing a parent can do when they’re frustrated with their young infant is to put the baby in a crib and walk away.”
Smith was arrested on Nov. 18, 2011 after Detective Michael Murray obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Dad accused of assaulting 2-month-old son; baby has life-threatening injuries (Groton, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as JORDAN RITTENHOUSE.
http://www.wfsb.com/story/26396275/pd-groton-father-accused-of-assaulting-2-month-old-son
Groton father, Navy sailor accused of assaulting 2-month-old son
Posted: Aug 28, 2014 3:15 PM EDT Updated: Aug 28, 2014 10:18 PM EDT
By Kaitlyn Naples
By Joseph Wenzel IV, News Editor
By Kim Lucey
GROTON, CT (WFSB) - A 2-month-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries after police responded to the report of a possible child abuse incident on Tuesday.
The child is being treated at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, and the boy's father is being charged with risk of injury to a minor and first-degree assault.
Police have arrested 24-year-old Jordan Rittenhouse of 53 Deerwood Dr., Groton.
Rittenhouse is a student at Naval Submarine School and his current rank is Seaman, according to Navy Public Affairs. He entered the Navy in November of 2013 from Rockwell, NC, and reported to Naval Submarine School in January of 2014.
Police said they have not been called to the home before. As of Thursday afternoon, police said the baby was still alive, but not doing well.
Shock and sadness is spreading through a tight-knit Groton neighborhood made up of those dedicating their lives to service on a submarine, just a few streets away from the base.
"Total shock, I have two little ones so I could never imagine that happening to them," said neighbor Ty Callands. "The submarine force is really a tight-knit family. They're there to help you, the people there are all your supervisors, your shipmates, they're always there to help."
Neighbors said Rittenhouse is a husband and has a daughter in addition to the 2-month-old, and the boy's mother has reportedly spent every moment at the hospital with her son.
While some neighbors said the family has been nothing but warm and welcoming, others said they were startled to see Rittenhouse's temper flare just a few months ago.
"The daughter grabbed a toy or a bucket or a shovel, he didn't like that, grabbed it very angry, like the kid kind of backed away scared," said neighbor Misty Lewis, who said when she noticed that incident she made her presence known and Rittenhouse calmed down.
Navy Public Affairs could not comment on allegations against Rittenhouse or his current status with the Navy.
Eyewitness News reached out to the Navy's public affairs officers for comments, but calls have not been returned yet.
Rittenhouse is being held on a $300,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
http://www.wfsb.com/story/26396275/pd-groton-father-accused-of-assaulting-2-month-old-son
Groton father, Navy sailor accused of assaulting 2-month-old son
Posted: Aug 28, 2014 3:15 PM EDT Updated: Aug 28, 2014 10:18 PM EDT
By Kaitlyn Naples
By Joseph Wenzel IV, News Editor
By Kim Lucey
GROTON, CT (WFSB) - A 2-month-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries after police responded to the report of a possible child abuse incident on Tuesday.
The child is being treated at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, and the boy's father is being charged with risk of injury to a minor and first-degree assault.
Police have arrested 24-year-old Jordan Rittenhouse of 53 Deerwood Dr., Groton.
Rittenhouse is a student at Naval Submarine School and his current rank is Seaman, according to Navy Public Affairs. He entered the Navy in November of 2013 from Rockwell, NC, and reported to Naval Submarine School in January of 2014.
Police said they have not been called to the home before. As of Thursday afternoon, police said the baby was still alive, but not doing well.
Shock and sadness is spreading through a tight-knit Groton neighborhood made up of those dedicating their lives to service on a submarine, just a few streets away from the base.
"Total shock, I have two little ones so I could never imagine that happening to them," said neighbor Ty Callands. "The submarine force is really a tight-knit family. They're there to help you, the people there are all your supervisors, your shipmates, they're always there to help."
Neighbors said Rittenhouse is a husband and has a daughter in addition to the 2-month-old, and the boy's mother has reportedly spent every moment at the hospital with her son.
While some neighbors said the family has been nothing but warm and welcoming, others said they were startled to see Rittenhouse's temper flare just a few months ago.
"The daughter grabbed a toy or a bucket or a shovel, he didn't like that, grabbed it very angry, like the kid kind of backed away scared," said neighbor Misty Lewis, who said when she noticed that incident she made her presence known and Rittenhouse calmed down.
Navy Public Affairs could not comment on allegations against Rittenhouse or his current status with the Navy.
Eyewitness News reached out to the Navy's public affairs officers for comments, but calls have not been returned yet.
Rittenhouse is being held on a $300,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Drunk dad fails to wake up during house fire, putting 5-year-old daughter in danger (Willimantic, Connecticut)
Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER ADAMS. Is he a single dad? Notice that there is no mention of a mother in the home or anywhere else. What happened to Mom?
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Burning-Food-Triggers-Fire-Alarm-After-Intoxicated-Willimantic-Father-of-5-Year-Old-Falls-Asleep-While-Cooking-Police-269804891.html
Burning Food Triggers Fire Alarm After Willimantic Father of 5-Year-Old Falls Asleep Drunk: Police
By Jessie Sawyer
Christopher Adams, 29, a Willimantic father father is facing charges after his 5-year-old daughter and firefighters took several attempts to wake him up from a drunken slumber on the couch as smoke rose from food cooking on the stove, triggering the fire alarm on Saturday night, police said.
Monday, Aug 4, 2014 • Updated at 7:56 AM EDT
A Willimantic father father is facing charges after his 5-year-old daughter and firefighters took several attempts to wake him up from a drunken slumber on the couch as smoke rose from food cooking on the stove, triggering the fire alarm on Saturday night, police said.
Police arrested Christopher Adams, 29, of 10 Valley Street Extension, after Willimantic firefighters responded to his apartment complex at 7 p.m. that evening. When fire crews arrived, there was smoke rising from an apartment window.
Firefighters saw a young girl inside who looked like she was trying to wake someone up on the couch, according to a news release from Willimantic police. Firefighters had to force entry into the apartment unit because no one answered their knocks and the door was locked, police said.
Adams had fallen asleep on the couch while cooking food and police said he "appeared intoxicated at the time." Rising smoke from the burning food triggered the fire alarm, according to police.
"On the surface, Adams appeared to be caring for his daughter by making dinner, but a decision to mix intoxicants with child care almost cost him much more than burnt food," Cpl. Charles Miller said. "We're grateful for the expedited response by the Fire Department, and are committed to protecting our city's youngest residents.
His daughter tried to wake him up and firefighter tried also numerous times before he finally stirred, police said. The girl was not injured and she is currently in the care of a family member who came to pick her up.
Police arrived later on scene to assist the fire department and investigated the incident.
Police charged Adams with risk of injury to a minor and reckless endangerment and held him in custody on a $20,000 bond. Adams is scheduled to appear in Danielson Superior Court on Monday.
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Burning-Food-Triggers-Fire-Alarm-After-Intoxicated-Willimantic-Father-of-5-Year-Old-Falls-Asleep-While-Cooking-Police-269804891.html
Burning Food Triggers Fire Alarm After Willimantic Father of 5-Year-Old Falls Asleep Drunk: Police
By Jessie Sawyer
Christopher Adams, 29, a Willimantic father father is facing charges after his 5-year-old daughter and firefighters took several attempts to wake him up from a drunken slumber on the couch as smoke rose from food cooking on the stove, triggering the fire alarm on Saturday night, police said.
Monday, Aug 4, 2014 • Updated at 7:56 AM EDT
A Willimantic father father is facing charges after his 5-year-old daughter and firefighters took several attempts to wake him up from a drunken slumber on the couch as smoke rose from food cooking on the stove, triggering the fire alarm on Saturday night, police said.
Police arrested Christopher Adams, 29, of 10 Valley Street Extension, after Willimantic firefighters responded to his apartment complex at 7 p.m. that evening. When fire crews arrived, there was smoke rising from an apartment window.
Firefighters saw a young girl inside who looked like she was trying to wake someone up on the couch, according to a news release from Willimantic police. Firefighters had to force entry into the apartment unit because no one answered their knocks and the door was locked, police said.
Adams had fallen asleep on the couch while cooking food and police said he "appeared intoxicated at the time." Rising smoke from the burning food triggered the fire alarm, according to police.
"On the surface, Adams appeared to be caring for his daughter by making dinner, but a decision to mix intoxicants with child care almost cost him much more than burnt food," Cpl. Charles Miller said. "We're grateful for the expedited response by the Fire Department, and are committed to protecting our city's youngest residents.
His daughter tried to wake him up and firefighter tried also numerous times before he finally stirred, police said. The girl was not injured and she is currently in the care of a family member who came to pick her up.
Police arrived later on scene to assist the fire department and investigated the incident.
Police charged Adams with risk of injury to a minor and reckless endangerment and held him in custody on a $20,000 bond. Adams is scheduled to appear in Danielson Superior Court on Monday.
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