From MSNBC:
TURLOCK, Calif. – Police killed a 27-year-old man as he kicked, punched and stomped a toddler to death despite other people’s attempts to stop him on a dark, country road, authorities said.
Investigators on Sunday were trying to establish the relationship between the suspect and the child they say he killed Saturday night. The Stanislaus County coroner said the boy appeared to be between 1 and 2 years old based on his size, according to county sheriff’s deputy Royjindar Singh.
“It’s been a long night of wondering, ‘Why?’ — not only for the officers and the passers-by who stopped and tried to help out, but for anyone. Why would somebody do this?” Singh said.
Singh said the coroner does not plan to confirm the identities of the suspect and victim until Monday. Because his injuries were so severe, the child will have to be identified through a blood or DNA test, he said.
Click here to read the entire article.
Too bad none of the people who tried to stop him before police arrived had a gun. Had any of them been armed, perhaps they could have killed this monster in time to save that poor little baby. However, at least they tried, according to the news report, which is more than what people in a lot of places would have done. It appears that at least some of the people who stopped to help were elderly. The elderly folks were very limited in what they could do to stop this maniac, obviously.
I have seen on other blogs and forums that the people who stopped to help are being criticized for not being more aggressive. I do not hold that opinion. I think this man was completely out of control, obviously crazed, and that the passersby are heroic for at least trying to save the child, given the obvious threat to their own life and safety.
UPDATE 6/16: The following additional information was reported in the Los Angeles Times:
A volunteer fire chief who tried to stop the man from beating the child to death describes a horrific scene.
Dan Robinson, of the Crows Landing Volunteer Fire Department, says he jumped out of his vehicle and tried to stop the man from beating the child.
Robinson says the man was saying “demons” were in the boy as he continually beat him.
UPDATE #2: Police have announced, it was reported in the Fresno Bee, that the man who beat the baby to death was the baby’s father, Sergio Aguilar, age 27. The baby was barely two years old, born May 8, 2006. The baby’s mother is Frances Liliana Casian. The baby’s name has not been released.
UPDATE #3: Sergio Aguilar “does not have any type of criminal history record”, according to KCRA News. Mercury News wrote the following:
“In the shadows and light it looked like he had hit an animal,” said Dan Robinson, chief of the Crows Landing Volunteer Fire Department, who came upon the chaos driving home from a late dinner in Turlock, in an interview with the Modesto Bee. “As we backed up again, I could see that he had blood on his arms. I could see that it was a small child.”
Robinson jumped from his vehicle and confronted the man, who lunged at him. Robinson said the man wasn’t screaming and wasn’t loud, but was forceful, saying “demons” were in the boy.
“Give me the knife. Give me the knife,” the man said as he grabbed for a pen in the fireman’s front pocket. “There was a total hollowness in his eyes,” Robinson said, “like I could see right through to the back of his head.”
One can only wonder what was going through this man’s mind, what personal horrors from his own past he was replaying as he beat his child to death.
We’ll never know. I for one don’t want to. Would that it rest with these two nameless deaths in the middle of nowhere, but it will go on.
Doesn’t matter why. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior…too bad someone didn’t think to get a bat or a crowbar to beat that f*cker in the head first…
No, the “whys” don’t matter in terms of what had to be done. Knowing them might teach us something which could be used to help avoid similar things in the future.
It’s a really sick world out there.
Demons, eh?
I take back what I said. Grokking the depths of batshit crazy isn’t likely to help us much.
Just because there is no history, doesn’t mean he isn’t schizo…Many times it doesn’t show up until your 20s anyway…but still…it is a shame that this poor baby had to endure that. I just keep thinking about my son…and how horrible it must be to have this happen to you and not understand a reason…especially if it is someone that is supposed to love you and care for you…
I have to go hug my son now..
ENM,
You asked for it so here is what I think.
It is possible that the guy was demon posessed or at least demonically oppressed. The guy could also have a mental illness. From what I have read & been told for some with symptons of mental illness it may really be a spiritual problem. However, many times those with mental illness believe that they are either on “a mission from God” (ok, I couldn’t resist the Blues Brothers rererence) or are dealing with demons. How do you tell the differance? I don’t know, that isn’t my area of expertise.
My degree is in Christian ethics didn’t really cover demonic possession. On the other hand I did study substance abuse and crises issues like mental health & have experience in youth ministry.
I think it is more likely the guy has either mental health issues, a substance abuse problem or it is just a con. Since I tend to be cynical unless he has a history of mental health issues I would think it is either a substance abuse problem or a con.
A couple of weeks ago had a customer in the Christian bookstore where I work who told me that he had seen God & God was short. It was obvious from the guys behavior he probrably has both mental health and substance abuse issues.
This just breaks my heart. I think of my 2 year old daughter and I just can’t breath! That poor little boy was helpless against his own father. I think now the little boy is safe from anymore pain. I keep putting myself in the position of the people who were passing by and I may have been scared to walk up to this phsyco and help but I would have ran his ass over with the car!!!!
Part of me wishes this man would have survived to go to prison and live a life of getting beat and raped by other imates who found out what he did to this little boy! I know that is terrible of me to say but that’s the truth!
Hell knowing our government they would let him get by with insanity and he would be on probation! Now I am just rambling!
EXACTLY THEY COULDVE RAN HIM OVER! THIS STORY MAKES NO SENSE TO ME NON WHATSOEVER! IM WONDERING HOW THOSE PEOPLE SLEEP AT NIGHT!!!!!@KASANDRA
This is evidence of pure EVIL. Now this so called *man* and the sweet baby are so far apart, one in hell and one in heaven. God Bless the tiny angel boy.
God Bless the tiny angel boy.
Ok this statement bugs me. The little boy is in heaven but humans do not become angels.
THIS IS PURE BULLSH****ITTTTTTT THESE PASSERBYS ACTUALLY SAID THEY STOP BY, TOLD THIS FOOL TO STOP BEATING HIS TWO YEAR, WHICH I KNEW THEY COULD MOST LIKELY TELL THAT HE WAS SUFFERING, BUT HE DIDNT LISTEN AND WENT RIGHT BACK TO IT! AND 23 PASSENGERS CLAIM THEY STOPPED BUT COULDNT DO ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!! AND FOR THE COP WHO TOLD THE MAN TO STOP FIRST BEFORE SHOOTING HIM, HE SHOULDVE TAKEN IMMEDIATE ACTION! THIS IS ONE STORY I’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND! WHEN THEY FIRST SAW THIS MAN THEY SHOULDVE CALLED THE COPS IMMEDIATELY ANDD TOOK ACTION THOSE PEOPLE ARE JUST AS GUILTY!!!!!!!! AND TO THOSE COWARDS WHO DIDNT HELP THAT CHILD, THEY COULDVE GRABBED THE BABY AN DRAN WITH HIM THE POLICE WAS ON THEIR WAY!!!!!!!! COWARDS ! THIS BABY DIED FROM HEAD AND FACIAL INJURIES! I PRAY IN THE NAME OF GOD!!!!!!! THAT THIS BABY DIDNT SUFFER TOO MUCH! I ALSO BELIEVE THAT MAN HAD PREVIOUS HINTS OF HIS SICKNESS! AND I MEAN WHO COULD REALLY FEEL AS HELPLESS AS THIS CHILD FELT THAT WITNESSED THIS????????? COME ON NOW!!! SICK!
I WISH I KNEW WHERE HIS GRAVESITE WAS! I REALLY WANNA LEAVE SOME THINGS ON HIS GRAVE I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD AND KILLS ME DEEP DOWN INSIDE!
I MEANT 3 PASSENGERS TOO NOT 23
WHILE EVERYONE IS WONDERING WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH THE FATHER’S HEAD, IT’S OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS MENTAL! I WANNA KNOW WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH THAT BABYS MIND! I PRAYYYYYYY THAT HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS!! THAT CHILD MUST OF LOST ALL HOPE! THIS IS SICK! I PRAY HE WASNT SUFFERING TOO MUCH!
THIS CHILD WA SUFFERING WITH NO ONE TO HELP HIM!!!!!!!! THIS STORY WILL FOREVER HAVE A LASTING EFFECT ON ME FOREVER!