Bridgeport Father Charged After Autopsy Finds Alcohol In Baby's Body

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A 22-year-old Bridgeport, Connecticut father was in court Tuesday, charged with manslaughter after an autopsy showed there was a high level of alcohol in the system of his 5-month-old son.

As CBS2's Lou Young reported, the baby boy died last year. But it took until now for Jorge Chicalana to face a judge following a yearlong investigation.

Chicalana tried to hide his face in court, and reacted with an obscene gesture when he was told to sit up and face forward, Young reported.

Chicalana's ex-wife said his actions were very much in character. He was accused of killing his son, Jacob Isaiah, last year by putting alcohol into the child's baby bottle.

The boy's mother told Young that using alcohol to quiet the fussy baby was something Chicalana had discussed in the past. But she said she had no idea he had gone so far.

"He talked about it a lot. You know, because on the TV shows we watch, they did that – they'll go and have something on his finger, rub it in," said the boy's mother, Odalis Galarza. "But to directly go ahead and put it in there? He never spoke about that to me."

Police said the baby's bottle contained the alcohol equivalent of a 50-proof drink, like a mixed cocktail.

The child's aunt said it was especially cruel that the 4-pound, 3-ounce baby survived a premature birth only to die of such callous neglect.

"It's hard," said the victim's aunt, Daris Machuca. "Because, how are you going to do that to your own son?"

The baby's parents have since divorced. Chicalana allegedly fled to Puerto Rico when he got wind that police were after him, but he was picked up Monday by U.S. marshals at a motel in Stratford.

Outside court, the ex-wife said she had a difficult time even being in the same room with Chicalana.

"I don't know what to think of him. I don't really even think of him," Galarza said. "It's just to go ahead and continue having that person in your head is like giving them that power over you, and I just don't want that."

Chicalana was unable to post a $75,000 bond. He was due in Superior Court on Tuesday to face charges of second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor.

Chicalana's defense attorney asked that medical treatment be provided to address some unspecified mental issues.

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