A 25-year-old man from Pawtucket is facing serious charges following the tragic death of a 1-year-old boy. The grand jury has recently issued an indictment in this case, bringing forward charges of second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse.
In a shocking turn of events, Joao Resendes has been charged with manslaughter and three counts of second-degree child abuse and child endangerment.
Resende is facing allegations of mistreating the boy on various occasions from Jan. 14 to Feb. 11.
The investigation was conducted by the Pawtucket Police Department.
During the arraignment on Friday morning, Superior Court Magistrate Gina Lopes made the decision to hold Resendes without bail.
A 17-month-old child named Santiago Ledo tragically passed away under circumstances that Pawtucket police have deemed as “suspicious.”
Emergency responders were called to an Arthur Street apartment on a Sunday morning in February, where they found a young boy who was not breathing and had noticeable bruising on his face.
The young child was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital and unfortunately did not survive.