The 5-month-old Ansonia baby boy who died last weekend, may be the victim of shaken baby syndrome, police said.
The child, identified as Kyle Robinson, died on Sunday of blunt force trauma, the medical examiner determined. Investigators were looking into the possibility the trauma was the result of being violently shaken, police said.
Kyle was in the care of his mother’s boyfriend when police received a medical call for a child in distress at a house on Hubbell Avenue, police said.
Police and medical personnel responded to the house at 7:20 p.m. on Friday, administered aid to Kyle and transported him to Griffin Hospital for immediate treatment.
Emergency crews attended to Kyle, transferred him to Yale-New Haven Hospital and put him on life support. The hospital told police on Saturday that the baby was not likely to survive. He died on Sunday.
An autopsy was performed on Tuesday and the medical examiner determined that Kyle died of blunt-force trauma to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.
The Department of Children and Families first became involved with the family in April for an incident that was found to be accidental, according to a statement they released on Wednesday.
The department received a second report in May accusing the mother's boyfriend of neglect and investigators said he left the children unattended for a very brief period of time. The department put a plan in place with the mother, Kelly Robinson-Maresca, for a relative to help the boyfriend care for the children. In-home services were being arranged for the family.
Officials from the department visited the family days before Kyle's death and found the children well attended and cared for. Now, the department will further investigate.
"This is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones of this young boy. The death of a child deeply affects everyone at the Department and most of all those who were recently working to help the family," Commissioner Joette Katz said. "It is now our responsibility to look at the case and see what can be learned to make a senseless death like this less likely to recur."
One neighbor said he gave the baby CPR before the child was taken to the hospital. The man who was caring for the child said he gave the baby a bottle and then the child stopped breathing, according to another neighbor.
Two other children, between 2 and 5 years old, were at the home when police received the medical call, police said. They were not hurt in any way.
Police called DCF to investigate and to check on the status of the other two children.
Police said there is a suspect in the case but no arrests have been made.
