Edgar Ismalej-Gomez, Stamford, Connecticut father kills 2 year old son, buries him in plastic bag, held mom hostage before being arrested. Had prior history of child abuse.
A Connecticut man who previously pled guilty to child abuse is alleged to have killed his 2-year-old son and then buried the boy in a local park, along with holding the toddler’s mother hostage until his arrest yesterday.
The remains of Liam Rivera were found Monday in a plastic bag under fresh dirt at Cummings Park in Stamford, the city’s Police Chief Timothy Shaw said in a press conference.
Edgar Ismalej-Gomez was arrested Tuesday for violating probation and is expected to face more charges in connection to Rivera’s death according to the Stamford Advocate.
Ismalej-Gomez, 26, is also accused of holding the young boy’s mother at gunpoint over the past week, officials reportedly said.
‘We know there are days that are tougher than others,’ Shaw said. ‘What the officers saw yesterday is not something they signed up for.’
Death by multiple blunt force trauma
WTNH reported police said the state’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide due to multiple blunt force trauma to the head. Charges have not yet been filed in the 2-year-old’s death.
‘This is a horrific and unimaginable tragedy for our city,’ Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons said. ‘And as a mother of young boys, my heart is breaking, as I know all our hearts are breaking, over the tragic loss of this 2-year-old boy.’
During Ismalej-Gomez’s arraignment Tuesday on violating a probation charge, Supervisory State’s Attorney Michelle Manning said he was picked up by authorities while in a cab on the way to New York, according to the Stamford Advocate. The arrest occurred around 1:30 a.m., police said.
Ismalej-Gomez is reportedly being held on $3 million bail.
Ismalej-Gomez’s public defender said his client is unemployed and has no way of affording the high bond.
He was arrested in August 2021 for abusing his toddler son when he was just 8 months old, court records indicate. He pleaded guilty in April 2022 and as part of a plea deal served 60 days and put on probation for three years, according to court records.
A protective order didn’t allow Ismalej-Gomez to be around Rivera due to that incident, but Manning said in court the father was living with his son and the child’s mother the last few weeks, the Stamford Advocate reported.
Boy’s mom held hostage
Rivera was found dead after Ismalej-Gomez went to his son’s room. The father allegedly forbid the boy’s mother to call for help, instead putting the boy’s body in a bag.
It’s unclear exactly when the boy died.
Ismalej-Gomez according to authorities held the mother hostage with a gun as the pair drove to and from West Virginia before the mom was able to contact police around noon Monday — which led to the grisly discovery.
Ismalej-Gomez is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 8.
