STAMFORD, Conn. — In a case Stamford's mayor called horrific and unimaginable, a man is being held on $3 million bond after being arraigned following the discovery of his two-year-old son's body which police said was beaten and buried in a plastic bag in a park.
Edgar Ismalej-Gomez, 26, was arraigned in court Tuesday on a violation of probation warrant. Prosecutors said Ismalej was the child's father.
Ismalej-Gomez is being held on a $3 million bond.
"A horrific and unimaginable incident for our community," said Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons in a press conference at police headquarters.
Prosecutors said Ismalej, who was on probation for a conviction in connection to the then eight-month-old son obtaining a broken arm while in his care in July 2021.
"Having no record at the time, the defendant pled to the felony risk and assault charges and received a sentence of five years suspended after 60 days with three years’ probation," said prosecutors. There was also a protective order.
Prosecutors said, "What we learned is that in just about a week ago, the defendant is alleged to have gone into the child's room and the child ended up deceased. The defendant would not let the mother of the child call for an ambulance. They placed the child in a bag and bury the child at Cummings Park. grave was found yesterday."
"The mother of the child has reported that the defendant has held her captive for the past four days. He is alleged to have carried a handgun and that she had been driven. They left the state drove down to West Virginia and came back to Connecticut that has been corroborated," prosecutors continued.
Stamford Police said they received a call from a family reporting kidnapping of a two-year-old. Police went to Cummings Park in Stamford where they located the body of the child buried in a plastic bag. The Office of the Chief State's Medical Examiner said the cause of death was determined to be a homicide, with multiple blunt force injuries to the head of the child.
Stamford Police Chief Tim Shaw said in a press conference that his officers did exemplary work in finding the suspect who was getting into a taxi, and asking the taxi to take him to Port Chester Walgreens.
Shaw said, "We all know what we sign up for as police officers. What these officers saw yesterday, was not what they signed up for."
This is the second death of a child allegedly at the hand of a parent in the last two months. In November of last year, Christopher Francisquini, 31, of Naugatuck, was accused of killing and dismembering his 11-month-old daughter, Camilla, last month inside their home.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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