Police have arrested a 22-year-old Norwich man charged in connection with the death of a 13-month-old girl last Thursday.
The child was in the care of the mother's boyfriend, Michael A. Rios, 22, of Norwich, when she sustained injuries, according to police.
When Rios brought the baby to William W. Backus Hospital on May 2, he told staff she fell off the bed, according to the affidavit.
Medical staff called the DCF hotline and said the baby was unconscious and had bleeding on the brain, court documents state.
Even after being placed on a ventilator, the baby was unresponsive and LifeStar medical helicopter transported her to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, where doctors performed surgery to relieve pressure to the skull, but the baby died, police said.
When investigators spoke with Rios, he said he'd put the baby on the bed, given her medication for an ear infection and left her alone as he went to the kitchen, according to the affadavit. That is when he heard her fall from the bed onto the hardwood floor, police said.
Doctors told investigators that did not explain the extent of the baby's injuries and police told Rios that.
As the questioning continued, Rios said he was caring for the baby on April 30 and was tossing her into the air and catching her under the armpits, as he usually did, then brought her to the bathroom to comb her hair.
He had placed the baby so she was sitting on the bathroom vanity next to the sink, the affidavit states, and the baby became lethargic and dizzy, fell into the sink and her forehead hit the faucet, Rios told police.
She cried for about two minutes and Rios soothed her, but did not seek medical treatment, according to the affidavit.
The baby's mother told investigators that she did not leave the baby alone with Rios until April 21, about two moths after they started dating.
She took the baby to the hospital on April 30 to be checked for the bruise on her forehead and ER staff determined she was fine, police said.
On May 2, he again tossed the little girl into the air and caught her and her head snapped forward and backward, he said, according to the affidavit.
Then, he gave the baby the medicine, left her alone while he went to the kitchen, and heard a bang when the baby fell off the bed, he said, according to police.
When Rios went to investigate, the baby was not breathing right.
Rios said he shook her "very hard," and performed CPR in a panic, then brought the baby to the hospital, he said, according to police.
The office of the medical examiner ruled the baby's death homicide, caused by blunt head trauma, and determined that her injuries were inconsistent with a fall from a bed.
She suffered from a subdural hematoma to the left side of the brain, a hematoma to the spinal cord, hemorraging on both optic nerves and mouth contusions.
Police arrested Rios on a warrant at 2:20 p.m. on Monday. He was charged with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor and released after posting a $100,000 surety bond.
He is due in court on May 16.
Photo Credit: Norwich Police
