Judge Beefs-Up Bond For Hartford Man Charged In Manchester Child's Death

MANCHESTER, CT - A Superior Court judge has tacked another $50,000 onto the bond for a man charged with manslaughter in the death of a 5-month-old over the weekend.

Joshua Maldonado, 23, was arraigned Thursday. His case was continued until June 29 and remained in custody on a $400,000 bond. It had been $350,000.

The case unraveled at 9 p.m. Sunday, when Manchester Police responded to 42C Channing Drive for a report of a 5-month old who was apparently choking, according to a news release.

When they arrived at the scene, Manchester police officers and Manchester fire crews and paramedics administered CPR and provided medical treatment to the infant, who was then transported to Manchester Memorial Hospital.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.

Manchester police detectives then began investigating the incident to determine what had caused the infant’s death, according to a news release. On Monday, an autopsy was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, police said.

The cause of death was blunt head trauma, according to a news release. Police then declared the death to be a homicide, police said. Detectives said they developed probable cause to determine that the infant’s death was caused by "a criminal act" and obtained an arrest warrant for Joshua Maldonado.

Maldonado, 23, of 128 Branford St., Hartford, is not related to the child but had been babysitting when the child was hurt, according to a news release. Maldonado surrendered to Manchester Police on Wednesday.

He has been charged with.

• First-degree manslaughter.
• First-degree assault.
• Risk of injury to a minor.

Photo Credit: Maldonado's booking mug shot furnished by Manchester Police.

See the arrest story at: http://patch.com/connecticut/manchester/hartford-man-charged-manslaughter-death-manchester-infant-0