The man suspected of hurting an infant that was found dead in a motel room bathtub Wednesday faced a judge in Milford on Thursday.
Dale Kirkland, 31, of Bridgeport appeared via Zoom call for his arraignment at Milford Superior Court.
Kirkland’s bond was set at $1 million and he is facing charges of risk of injury to a minor and cruelty to persons.
The bailiff commission said Kirkland has been living in Connecticut for nine months, has been working for the company FedEx and does not have a criminal history.
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Alanna Paul, assistant state attorney, asked for Kirkland’s bond to be posted only in court.
"He did not report this death to the authorities at the time that the incident happened so I would ask that the bond remain,” Paul said.
During the arraignment, Kirkland’s public defender requested his bond be reduced to $100,000 cash surety bond, however the judge denied the request based on the nature of the charges.
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A man who's been staying at Mayflower Motel said he was happy to hear Kirkland had been arrested, but said he wishes more could have been done for the infant.
"I'm a parent, so that hits close to me, I don't want to see anything like that happen to any kids,” Eric Klobedanz said.
On Wednesday, Milford Police reported they received a call at 11 a.m. from the Mayflower Motel, stating that a cleaning employee had found an unresponsive infant lying in the tub of the room where Kirkland had been staying.
Kirkland checked into the Mayflower Motel on Tuesday evening with a baby, and checked out Wednesday morning without a baby, according to police.
Kirkland is likely to face additional charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28 at Milford Superior Court.
