Police have made an arrest in the death of an infant in Hartford two years ago.
The baby, 6-month-old Jaheem Morley, was taken to Connecticut Children's, where he was pronounced dead.
The child's death was later ruled a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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Detectives began a lengthy investigation and eventually secured an arrest warrant for the child's father, 27-year-old Donte Morley.
Morley told authorities that he placed the 6-month-old on his stomach before stepping away to smoke a cigarette. When he returned, Morley told authorities that the child wasn't breathing and he called 911, according to the warrant.
The warrant states that the infant had to be put on a ventilator and had numerous fractures that were in different stages of healing. This includes broken bones, ribs, brain swelling and more. Hospital staff determined that these injuries weren't accidental, according to police.
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Detectives learned that a couple days prior, Morley brought the child to Connecticut Children's because he had fallen off of the bed. He was discharged the same day. Then a day before his death, the child was brought to his doctor due to possible dehydration, the warrant states.
The child's mother told detectives that Morley fled the state after the 6-month-old's death. In a text, she told Morley, "Donte you killed my baby," to which he replied, "I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to shook him," according to the warrant.
Morley was in prison in Florida on unrelated charges, according to police.
Hartford detectives traveled to Florida and took Morley into custody on Friday. He was returned to Connecticut and charged with first-degree manslaughter and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.
He was held on $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 22.
