A Connecticut man has been charged with killing his 12-year-old son and attempting to kill his teenage daughter, prosecutors said Friday.
Anthony Andrew Esposito, Jr., 52, was taken into custody by Branford Police officers after being pulled over while driving on Route 79 Thursday afternoon.
He was charged with one count each of murder with special circumstances (victim under 16) and criminal attempt to commit murder and was held on a $3 million bond, police said in a news release.
On Friday, Branford police identified the victim as 12-year-old Anthony P. Esposito, a student in the Branford Public School System.
His father was arraigned Friday morning in state Superior Court in New Haven, where Assistant State’s Attorney Cynthia Lill said he fatally beat his son with a baseball bat and pushed his 16-year-old daughter down a flight of stairs.
According to the prosecutor, Esposito admitted to police he took his son’s life because the boy was being disrespectful, NBC Connecticut reported.
He also allegedly told investigators he would have killed his daughter, but she was able to escape.
His public defender, Margaret Castinado, told the judge that Esposito has dealt with mental health issues since he was a child.
He has also been admitted to mental health facilities multiple times, she said, asking the judge to lower his bond to $1 million.
Judge Arthur C. Hadden denied the request and kept the bond at $3 million, citing the “horrendous nature of the allegations,” the Norwalk Hour reported.
The judge also issued a no-contact protective order and recommended Esposito be placed on suicide watch while incarcerated.
