Parents Speak Out After Fairfield Woman Charged with Baby’s Death

FAIRFIELD, CT — The parents of Adam Seagull say they feel “betrayed” by Carol Cardillo, the Fairfield woman they entrusted with his care and was instead charged in connection to his death.

Cardillo, 53, of Edgewood Road, was arrested by Fairfield Police on Thursday following an investigation into the Shelton infant’s death on March 22. She was charged with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor.

Police say Cardillo was operating an unlicensed daycare facility out of her home.

After initially believing Adam, who was 4 months old, died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, his death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy and toxicological tests showed he had high levels of Benadryl in his system. Cardillo is accused of giving Adam the Benadryl, which police said shouldn’t be “administered to children under the age of 2, and should only be administered to children between the age of 2 and 4 years old after consultation with a doctor.”

While speaking from the Bridgeport office of their attorney after the arrest was announced on Thursday afternoon, Michelle and Matthew Seagull told the Fairfield Citizen that their son had not been given any medications during his short life, and they definitely did not give Cardillo any permission to do so.

Michelle Seagull told the Citizen all Cardillo had to do was call and “one of us would have come and gotten him.”

Matthew Seagull told NBC Connecticut that Cardillo “violated our trust and the trust of so many parents.”

The parents say they hope that justice is served for that betrayal, according to NBC Connecticut.

Another important issue for the Seagulls is ensuring that all daycare centers, licensed or unlicensed, are safe, according to the Citizen.

Read more at the Fairfield Citizen here and NBC Connecticut here.

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