A Connecticut man has been charged with murder after police say he beat his 12-year-old son to death with a baseball bat.
The Branford Police Department arrested Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr., 52, on May 2 in the death of 12-year-old Anthony P. Esposito, the department said in a news release. He was charged with murder in his son’s death and with the attempted murder of another family member.
Esposito’s public defender said in court that his client had mental health issues that have gone untreated for decades, WTNH-TV reported without naming the attorney.
USA TODAY could not immediately identify or reach Esposito’s attorney on Monday.
Police report harrowing crime
In a police report obtained by WTNH-TV, Esposito told police that his son was “frequently disrespectful to him, sticking his middle finger up in his face and telling him to (expletive) off.”
Esposito told police that the voices in his head of his mother and father told him that he should not let his son get away with disrespect, the report said.
The police report also said that Esposito pushed his 16-year-old daughter down the stairs after she asked about where her brother was. She fled the house, the report said.
An ‘unimaginable void’
A GoFundMe set up in memory of Anthony P. Esposito said that the 12-year-old was a “kind soul.”
“His smile, laughter, and kind soul brought warmth to our lives, and his absence leaves an unimaginable void,” the fundraiser said. “No family should have to face such a loss—let alone carry the financial burden of laying a child to rest.”
Matthew Edgar, a friend of Anthony’s, told WTNH-TV that the boy was kind.
“He was always joyful, and he always wanted to play with his friends,” he said. “We played in the pool with him all the time.”
In a statement obtained by NBC Connecticut, Branford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Tranberg said that the child was a sixth-grade student at Walsh Intermediate School.
“On behalf of the Branford Public Schools, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and all those impacted by this unimaginable tragedy,” he said. “Our hearts are with them during this incredibly difficult time.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Father charged in 12-year-old son’s beating death with baseball bat