Civil trial questions DCF actions in death of baby thrown from bridge
A civil trial has kicked off in Waterbury on behalf of Aaden Moreno and is examining whether the Department of Children and Families (DCF) failed to protect the 7-month-old baby before his death in 2015.
The estate of Aaden and the child’s mother are suing the state, claiming DCF was negligent in protecting the infant from his father, Tony Moreno, who later killed him.
Aaden was killed on July 5, 2015, when he was thrown from the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown. Tony was convicted of murder and is serving a 70-year prison sentence.
Attorneys for the family argue DCF was aware of prior threats made by Tony against both the baby and his mother, as well as a potential history of domestic violence, prior criminal charges, and a temporary restraining order.
They contend that a history that included allegations of domestic violence, criminal charges, and threats — along with a restraining order that lapsed and a denied request for a new one — should have prompted intervention by the agency.
During testimony, the DCF case worker assigned to the case said the department did not see cause for immediate concern.
“So, your testimony is, despite all the knowledge of those things, DCF had no concerns of Aaden being in the custody of Mr. Moreno?” asked Attorney Keith McCabe.
“Correct,” responded Kimberly Natoli with DCF.
Attorneys for the family also argued that, as custody was about to shift to Tony, the child’s mother raised concerns about her and Aaden’s safety.
They said a safety assessment and face-to-face contact with Tony were not conducted before he took custody of the baby.
According to testimony, Tony took custody of Aaden on July 3, just two days before the child’s death.
The state argues DCF followed proper protocol and that while concerns existed, they did not rise to a level requiring extreme intervention, such as removing the child from parental custody.
“Aaden was never at harm of imminent danger, he was always in the care of his mom, he always appeared happy and content, there was always food in the house, he had appropriate bedding,” said Natoli.
The caseworker testified that a meeting had been scheduled with both parents, but Aaden was killed days before it was set to take place.
The caseworker said her decisions were based on her experience and interactions with the mother and child and that she could not have anticipated what happened.
“I was shocked,” she explained.
“Was this something you anticipated?” Assistant Attorney General John Tucker asked.
“No,” responded Natoli.
Testimony later in the day focused on an expert witness as the trial continued. She was brought in by the attorneys for the estate, who offered her opinion that DCF did not meet the minimum standard of care in protecting Aaden and that more should have been done.
The trial is expected to last four days.
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