Photo Courtesy of Women at Risk, International
According to the Queens DA’s Office, an autopsy performed on the infant child determined the cause of death to be abusive head trauma.
By Forum Staff
A Sunnyside, Queens, man wascharged with murder and other crimes in the death of his 5-month-old baby daughter, who died on July 30, 2016. An autopsy performed on the infant child determined the cause of death to be abusive head trauma.
District AttorneyBrown said, “This is a tragic and horrible case. The victim is a baby whose short life was filled with suffering and pain allegedly at the hands of the very person who should have been protecting her and keeping her safe. The defendant in this case is the baby’s father. Instead of comforting and soothing her as she cried, the defendant is accused of causing severe head injury, bleeding on her brain and severe hemorrhaging in the back of her eyes. This didn’t have to happen and shouldn’t have happened.”
The defendant is identified as Jorge Baque, 36, of Greenpoint Avenue in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens. Baque is awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
According to the charges, the defendant responded to the cries of his five-month old daughter Alaia Baque shortly after 2 a.m. on July 30, 2016, and held her while she cried. He stated that he continued to hold her until she became quiet and then he placed her face down in her crib. There were no furthersounds from the baby, according to alleged statements by the defendant. At approximately 6:30 a.m., the Baque checked on the baby and at that time the baby had blue lips and was cold to the touch and unresponsive.
