MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — A man whose infant son was found dead in the Connecticut River admitted tossing the boy from a bridge before jumping into the water below, police said Wednesday.
Tony Moreno was charged with murder in the death of 7-month-old Aaden Moreno.
Moreno exchanged angry text messages with the infant’s increasingly frantic mother in the minutes before he jumped Sunday near midnight, according to court filings. “Enjoy your new life without us,” Moreno wrote before texting, “He’s dead.”
Moreno, 21, was arraigned at Hartford Hospital, where he was treated after firefighters rescued him. His bail was set at $2 million. Moreno’s public defender did not return a call seeking comment.
Police went to the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown on Sunday night after Moreno’s mother called 911 to report that her son had called her from the bridge and said he was going to jump. After officers arrived, they saw Moreno jump and found an empty baby stroller, but did not see the infant.
The body of Aaden Moreno was found Tuesday night near a bridge in East Haddam, south of where his father jumped, after an extensive search involving dive teams and helicopters.
