Monday, March 21, 2005

D.A. BROWN: CORONA FATHER PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDER IN HANGING DEATH OF BABY SON; COURT TO IMPOSE 22 YEARS TO LIFE PRISON SENTENCE

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a Corona, Queens father has pled guilty to murdering in July 2003 his two-year-old son whose body was found hanging from a shower curtain rod at an Elmhurst hotel.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant has admitted his guilt, waived his right to appeal and acknowledged that he was responsible for his son’s murder. The sentence to be imposed -- a prison term of 22-years to life -- is more than warranted by what was a shocking and terrible crime.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Juan Batista, 28, formerly of Corona, Queens, a personal trainer. The defendant pled guilty earlier today to Murder in the Second Degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Hanophy who indicated that he would sentence the defendant to 22 years to life in prison on April 13, 2005.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant admitted in court that on July 26, 2003 about 1:35 a.m. inside the Crown Motor Inn at 74-01 Queens Boulevard he took an extension cord and hanged his son, Omar Arias, two, from a shower curtain rod in the bathroom and caused his death.

Assistant District Attorney Robert J. Masters, Bureau Chief, of the District Attorney’s Kew Gardens Trial Bureau I is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Senior Executive Assistant District Attorney for Trials James C. Quinn.