A man identified as Edgar Ismalej Gómez, 26, was arrested Tuesday following allegedly he will kill his son 2 years old and buried in a Connecticut park.
The subject was arrested following he violated his probation, but the police named him the main suspect in the death of Liam Rivera.
According to the police investigation, the boy’s body was discovered on Monday wrapped in a plastic bag and buried in a park in Connecticut. The Medical Examiner’s office added that the boy appeared to have suffered multiple blunt force trauma to the head.
Boy buried in Connecticut park: His father abused him
In April 2021, Ismalej Gomez pleaded guilty to abusing Liam Rivera, who was only 8 months old at the time. According to court reports, the child had been taken to hospital with a broken arm and doctors concluded that the injury occurred when someone twisted the baby’s limb.
Rivera was subsequently removed from his parents’ custody and placed in the foster care system, but returned to his mother’s care in 2022 with court-ordered supervision still in effect at the time of her death.
The court had ordered Ismalej Gomez to stay away from the boy and imposed a conviction for abuse in April 2021, according to the Advocate.
However, the supervising state’s attorney, Michelle Manning, said that following investigations it was discovered that the suspect had been living with Liam Rivera and his mother in the weeks before the boy’s death.
The Department of Children and Families The DCF last had contact with Liam regarding a week before his death, police said.
Also, DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes said in a statement: “During that home visit, the child was assessed to be safe following being interviewed and visibly well to family members and community neighbors.” She also added that the family had not reported any contact with Ismalej Gómez.
How did the events occur?
According to the investigations and statements of the defendants, at the end of December Ismalej Gómez allegedly entered the boy’s room and found him dead. Gomez did not allow Liam’s mother to call an ambulance and instead placed the boy’s body in a bag and buried it in Cummings Park, the state attorney said.
The exact date Liam Rivera died is not yet known, but police reports revealed that Gomez held the boy’s mother hostage for 4 days, threatened with a gun, as they traveled to and from West Virginia.
It wasn’t until Monday at noon that the mother was able to contact the police and the horrifying discovery was made.
At the moment, it is known that Ismalej Gómez is being held on $3 million bail and the investigation into the death of the boy buried in Cummings Park continues to be carried out.
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