BRANFORD, CT - Authorities have arrested an allegedly abusive father who they say beat his 12-year-old son to death with a baseball bat because the boy was being disrespectful. According to ABC News, 52-year-old Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr., also allegedly tried to kill his 16-year-old daughter.
Esposito has been charged with murder with special circumstances and criminal attempt to commit murder. Police said that the incident took place on Thursday, May 1st, at a home in Branford. Esposito was taken into custody the same day following a traffic stop with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police (CSP).
During his arraignment on Friday, May 2nd in New Haven Superior Court, prosecutors said that Esposito allegedly told police he "brutally" beat his son because she was being disrespectful. The son, who was killed, has been identified as Anthony P. Esposito.
Esposito is also accused of pushing his teenage daughter down the stairs and allegedly told police that if he were able to get the baseball bat, he would have killed her too. His defense attorney told the court that Esposito has a long history of mental health issues, dating back to when he was a young child, including multiple psychiatric hospitalizations during his earlier years.
According to FOX61, at is last hospitalization 15 years ago, Esposito said he heard voices. He reported for counseling for six months and had not received treatment or medication since. His public defender said that he had no previous criminal history. The arrest affidavit said that Esposito told police he heard voices that kept saying "don't let him get away with" what he claimed was disrespectful behavior from his son. It said he told police that he heard his mother's voice say "baseball, baseball bat."
Esposito's mother recently committed suicide. After claiming to hear his deceased mother's voice, that is when he went downstairs, grabbed the baseball bat and started attacking his son. He then went to the Branford green to pick up his daughter and brought her home.
When they got home and the daughter started asking where the son was, Esposito pushed her down the stairs. He said he also intended to kill his daughter, but that she managed to escape before he could get to the baseball bat.
The police report noted that Esposito told them he was hearing voices. Esposito remains held on a $3 million bond. The defense asked the judge to lower the bond to $1 million, but the judge did no such thing. If found guilty of the charges, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge also issued a protective order against an individual that was not identified.
The case remains under investigation. In a press release, the Branford Police Department (BPD) said, "Branford Police are working closely with the Branford Public School System to ensure that grief counselors and support services are available to students, staff, and families affected by this tragedy.
We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for our community, and our hearts are with Anthony's family, friends, classmates, and teachers." Branford Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Tranberg said in a statement, "On behalf of the Branford Public Schools, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and all those impacted by this unimaginable tragedy. Our hearts are with them during this incredibly difficult time."
According to the New Haven Register, a GoFundMe has been set up to help cover the young boy's funeral expenses and to start a memorial in his honor. The aunt, who created the fundraiser wrote that Anthony P. Esposito was a "bright and loving 12-year-old boy who touched the lives of everyone who knew him. His smile, laughter, and kind soul brought warmth to our lives, and his absence leaves an unimaginable void."
