Police: Dad threw baby Aaden Moreno from Middletown bridge before jumping; charged with murder

Tony Moreno Tony Moreno Photo: Middletown Police Photo: Middletown Police Image 1 of / 75 Caption Close Police: Dad threw baby Aaden Moreno from Middletown bridge before jumping; charged with murder 1 / 75 Back to Gallery

MIDDLETOWN >> Tony Moreno admitted to police that he threw 7-month-old son Aaden Moreno off the Arrigoni Bridge before jumping late Sunday night, according to police spokeswoman Lt. Heather Desmond.

Moreno, 21, of Middletown was charged with murder and murder with special conditions in connection with Aaden’s death, Desmond said. He is being held in lieu of $2 million bail and was given a date Thursday in Middletown Superior Court, according to court documents, but is not expected to appear.

The special conditions charge is levied because of the age of the child, Desmond said.

Moreno was also charged with two counts of criminal violation of a restraining order related to a June 25 incident with Aaden and his mother Adrianne Oyola, according to Desmond. For those counts, Moreno is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

The charges were announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, a day after the child’s body was pulled from the water.

Following a two-day search beginning late Sunday, Aaden was found at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the river at East Haddam near the Swing Bridge, officials say.

Police said Tony Moreno jumped off the bridge which spans Middletown and Portland over the Connecticut River. He is hospitalized in Hartford,where he’s been since firefighters rescued him from the river on Sunday night.

Moreno, who has been assigned a public defender, was arraigned at the hospital, where Police Capt. Gary Wallace said he was cleared medically but not psychologically because he is a “high suicide risk.”

The rescue operation, which had a command center set up at Harbor Park, was coordinated by Middletown police and firefighters, South Fire District personnel, regional, state police and the U.S. Coast Guard, among others.

Friends have set up a GoFundMe page and within 19 hours had raised $13,294 of $15,000 from 507 donors as of Wednesday evening while a vigil for the baby is Wednesday night on the South Green.

Middletown police haven’t released details about Tony Moreno’s mental health or history, but court records show he and the infant’s mother Oyola, 19, were in the middle of a custody battle and feared for the safety of both Aaden and herself.

“Our community has suffered indescribable tragedy this week. A little Angel was brought forth into Heaven and we pray that he has found eternal peace,” Drew wrote in a statement.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Children and Families said in a press release that staff had visited the mother and infant three times between June 19 and 26, following a report about the father on June 17.

“[Staff] conducted a complete safety assessment that found the father was no longer in the home as a result of a restraining order sought by the mother the same day.”

The investigation, according to DCF, found Oyola had moved into a relative’s home and was taking steps to protect the baby.

Staff are providing assistance to the family, the DCF statement continues, and “will examine our involvement with the family as is our normal protocol under such circumstances.”

Drew offered a prayer for Aaden on his Facebook page. “May the hand of Providence ensure him eternal peace.”

“Aaden’s young mother and her family are now facing the indescribable pain of losing baby Aaden,” friends wrote on the GoFundMe page. “They are also now suddenly faced with having to pay for funeral expenses for this sweet boy before he could even have his first birthday party.”

The owner of Ladybug Boutique posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon that she would be donating 10 percent of her profits through Saturday to help the family.

“As a mom and business owner, I feel it’s important that we show our support for this sweet little angel and his mom. Let’s make a difference together!”

Reporter Brian Zahn and the Associated Press contributed to this story.