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The home on Elmer Hill Road in the town of Western where Rome policeman Mark Fanfarillo lives, and where he discovered his baby dead in his vehicle in the driveway.

(Photo by Patrick Lohmann)

WESTERN, NY - Rome police officer Mark Fanfarillo is the one who discovered his baby boy dead in his vehicle parked in the driveway of his home Monday afternoon, and then called 911, Oneida County sheriff's deputies said.

"The father is the one who was responsible for the child at the time,'' said Oneida County Deputy Jonathan Owens.

Michael Fanfarillo, the 4 1/2-month-old son, was found by his father at 4:40 p.m. Deputies said the investigation shows the child had been left in the vehicle for a long time. Owens said he did not know how long.

Owens said it is too early in the investigation to speculate about what happened, and he said he can't say if the death was accidental.

Fanfarillo served as a patrol officer with the Rome police department for the past 10 years and was a "member in good standing,'' according to Rome Police Chief Kevin Beach.

Beach said he can't comment during the investigation about what might have happened.

"It is devastating,'' he said. "We feel terrible for the family, and we're here to support Mark and his family.

"As a police family, we have experienced a terrible tragedy,'' he said.

Fanfarillo's next-door neighbor, who declined to give her name, said she saw ambulances and firetrucks outside the home Monday afternoon and then, through her window, saw Fanfarillo standing in his driveway in silence, visibly distraught.

"He had his hands on his head and was not in a good way," she said.

Fanfarillo lived with his wife, the baby and another young son, she said. He lived in the home before getting married, and had been in the lakeside neighborhood for more than 11 years, she said.

The home sits at the end of a curve alongside other pastel-painted homes. The yard, like its neighbors', is well-groomed and the backyard gives way to a pristine view of the Delta Reservoir. Gazebos and gardens are common features along Elmer Hill Road.

Patrick Lohmann contributed to this story