Police Say Baby's Cries Led Parents to Kill Him

2007_01_stlukes.jpgThe police have charged a Harlem couple with their baby's murder. Teresa Flores and Rufino Bedoya-Flores were arrested after police interviews revealed they shook and hit baby Sebastian in an attempt to quiet him.

According to the NY Times, Flores yelled and slapped the baby, and later put a sheet over his face: "She placed her hand over his nose and mouth and pressed a bedsheet hard against his neck." Then Bedoya-Flores hit and shook the child. They thought the baby was asleep when he was silent, but then called the police in the morning when Sebastian was unconscious. The baby was pronounced dead at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital. The ME's office will determine the official cause of death.

The couple was arraigned and remanded without bond. Flores's 1 year old daughter was removed from the home. The Post suggests the couple was afraid Sebastian's crying would wake other people living the West 135th Street apartment - they were living with 5-6 other illegal immigrants.

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Racist Gothamist. always trying to show black people commit crimes.

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Uh... sounds like they were Hispanic.

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hitting babies makes them stop crying...that's logical.

Racist first-poster. Always thinking only blacks live in Harlem.

People like this couple should be given forced vasectomies and tubal ligations as part of their sentences. They've already proven they're not fit to take care of children. Don't let them go back and birth more to endanger.

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It's too bad they didn't utilize NY's Safe Haven law which I believe would allow them to anonymously leave the unwanted baby at a hospital or police precinct.

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