2-Year-Old Boy Found Dead In Stamford; Suspect In Custody: Police

STAMFORD, CT — A 26-year-old man wanted in connection with the death of his 2-year-old son was arrested early Tuesday morning on an unrelated charge less than a day after the boy's remains were discovered buried in a Stamford park, police said.

Edgar Ismalej-Gomez, of Stamford, was arrested on a warrant that charges him with violation of probation stemming from an arrest in 2021, police said. He appeared in Stamford Superior Court Tuesday and was being held on $3 million bond.

Police identified the child as Liam Rivera. During a news conference at Stamford Police Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, SPD Chief Timothy Chaw announced that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the boy's death a homicide by multiple blunt force injuries to the head.

"We want to offer our condolences to the family of 2-year-old Liam Rivera on such a heinous incident," Shaw said, noting that the department has put resources in place to help the boy's family.

Shaw said the department received a call Monday around 11:52 a.m., in reference to a possible kidnapping and a child who may have been harmed and buried in the area of Cummings Park.

Officers responded to the park and found an area with fresh dirt moved around, Shaw said. Officers then unearthed a plastic bag containing the boy's remains.

Investigators identified Ismalej-Gomez as a person of interest, and worked with local agencies such as the Norwalk Police Department, CT State Police, Westchester County Police and the FBI to locate him.

Stamford Sgts. Damien Rosa and Jay Alverez found Ismalej-Gomez's car in Scalzi Park at approximately 7 p.m., Monday, Shaw said.

SPD officers Willie Mercado, RJ BlakeJarvis and Jeremy Cordova then went door-to-door to any business that was open and spoke with employees and patrons to determine Ismalej-Gomez's whereabouts.

At approximately 1:15 a.m., Tuesday, the officers were alerted by a member of the community about a person fitting the description of Ismalej-Gomez. Shortly after, officers pulled over a taxi containing Ismalej-Gomez on West Main Street in Stamford and arrested him without incident, Shaw said.

Capt. Thomas Scanlon said investigators are still trying to determine a timeline of events and when the boy died, but they believe he died "in the preceding days."

He said the investigation is "all hands on deck."

In court on Tuesday, prosecutors said Ismalej-Gomez held the boy's mother captive at gunpoint after the boy died, and traveled to West Virginia and back to Stamford, News 12 CT reported.

When the two returned to Connecticut, the boy's mother called her attorney who alerted police, News 12 CT said.

Scanlon said that information is "preliminary" at the moment, and search warrants and cell phone analysis will have to be conducted.

Ismalej-Gomez was arrested in 2021 and accused of abusing a 6-month-old child, the Stamford Advocate said.

Ismalej-Gomez pleaded guilty to risk of injury and third-degree assault and received five years suspended after 60 days in jail, followed by three years of probation earlier this year, according to judicial records.

Police said he violated probation, and an arrest warrant was obtained.

"There were efforts from the probation office to track him down initially, and that did not yield any results. There was no recent information of his whereabouts," Scanlon said Tuesday.

There was an order of protection for Rivera against Ismalej-Gomez, Scanlon noted. He wouldn't comment if the mother would face charges.

Mayor Caroline Simmons called the death of Rivera "a horrific and unimaginable tragedy" for Stamford.

"As a mother of young boys, my heart is breaking as I know all of our hearts are breaking over the tragic loss of this 2-year-old boy," she said. "I want to express my deep condolences and thoughts and prayers to the family of this victim. I know we will be doing everything we can to provide postvention services from the city."

Both Simmons and Shaw said there is no threat to the community and that this was an isolated incident.

Shaw also said there will be resources available to the officers involved in the investigation. He praised them for their work over the past two days.

"What I can tell you is that we know what we sign up for as a police officer. We know there are days that are tougher than others. What the officers saw yesterday is not something they signed up for," he added. The meeting room for Tuesday's news conference at Stamford Police Headquarters was packed with officers showing support for Rivera and those involved in the investigation.

"They are mothers and fathers, they are brothers and sisters, aunts, and uncles and friends. They should be proud of all the effort they put into this investigation up until now," Shaw said.

Read more from the Advocate and News 12