GUILTY WA - Diego Rios-Santana, 7 mos, found dead in firepit, Federal Way, 21 June 2008

[Taximom]

Yeah, they said he dug the pit, so I'm guessing a baby could fall in and not get out. Still, to think of the baby's pain and screaming...and nobody in that neighborhood heard a thing?!

 

[SuziQ]

Warning, Very graphic details at the below link:

http://www.komonews.com/news/21590744.html

 

[SewingDeb]

$1 million dollar bond sounds awfully high for manslaughter or neglect.

 

[Taximom]

Well, they say the baby was alive when "it" (WTH?!) entered the fire pit and died from smoke inhalation with burns over 100% of his body. What could have been the cause of the hole in the head though? I'm real confused about the part about the dog. I hope the dog wasn't trying to, uhm, get the baby out of the fire pit. (Sorry)

 

[philamena]

from above article:

The King County medical examiner's office said Wednesday that the baby was alive when it entered the fire pit, and died of smoke inhalation and suffered burns over 100 percent of his body.

The death was ruled a homicide.

 

[gardenmom]

Well, they say the baby was alive when "it" (WTH?!) entered the fire pit and died from smoke inhalation with burns over 100% of his body. What could have been the cause of the hole in the head though? I'm real confused about the part about the dog. I hope the dog wasn't trying to, uhm, get the baby out of the fire pit. (Sorry)

Something definately happened to this baby before it ever went in the fire. I'm surprised the article said he died of smoke inhalation though.

 

[laini]

So the article says that the four year old sister was also outside. When "dad" woke up the sister was gone. Could she have done something and he is protecting her?

 

[kalekona]

This is a local story for me and all I can say is I'm pretty much a give them the benefit of the doubt and Innocent until proven guilty But in this case I am outraged..
Manslaughter in this state is around 16 years.. 16 years for a horrible painful death.
There is no way someone Didn't hear that baby scream in pain while it was in that fire.

And for the 4 year old...even if she had puled the baby into the fire someone should have and would have heard that baby in the fire.

 

[tigger3z]

where was the Mom? Didn't she check on them at all..if she knew her hsuband was driking I can't beleive she let the children go out with a fire in the pit? I feel so bad for this baby--he never had a chance--father is definitely guilty of neglect--but where was the daughter-this could have been another tragedy. Hole in head bothers me too...

 

[believe09]

So where does the dog come in? Where was the 4 year old? A hole in the child's head? Are ya kidding me?

So dad is showing remarkable remorse, no mention of the 4 year old and the baby had been in the fire long enough to have cinders on its back and to have died of smoke inhalation...wth?

 

[BeavisMom62]

So where does the dog come in? Where was the 4 year old? A hole in the child's head? Are ya kidding me?

So dad is showing remarkable remorse, no mention of the 4 year old and the baby had been in the fire long enough to have cinders on its back and to have died of smoke inhalation...wth?

ITA. There is definitely more to this story that we haven't heard yet! :furious:

 

[SuziQ]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/368384_baby26.html

(snip)
The teething child could not crawl, enjoyed his baths and loved being cuddled and having his bare feet in the grass, the relative said.
Federal Way police have not discussed whether they would pursue a possible fire code violation regarding the fire pit, spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said Wednesday.
The code requires that a fire pit be 25 feet away from anything combustible.
In Rios' backyard, "there was not protection around it," she said. "It was just a dugout hole."

 

[SuziQ]

Surely an ME can determine whether the hole in the baby's head was pre or post mortem. And it must have been noticible if the arriving officers could see it. Makes me wonder if the baby was unconcious before it entered the fire. That would explain the lack of unheard screams from the baby. The father appears to have been very distraught. So many unanswered questions.

ETA: I just keep coming back to the fact that fire is used to cover-up crimes.

 

[SewingDeb]

SuziQ, well that answers the question about the baby's mobility. So sad.

 

[imthemom]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/368384_baby26.html

(snip)
The teething child could not crawl, enjoyed his baths and loved being cuddled and having his bare feet in the grass, the relative said.
Federal Way police have not discussed whether they would pursue a possible fire code violation regarding the fire pit, spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said Wednesday.
The code requires that a fire pit be 25 feet away from anything combustible.
In Rios' backyard, "there was not protection around it," she said. "It was just a dugout hole."

This does answer some questions. SO the baby could not crawl. Was there a dog? I wonder if the dog got ahold of the baby. I am saddened to hear the baby was alive when he entered the fire. I can't believe nobody heard a cry. I do believe from what the family is saying the parents did love the child very much but were not very responsible. Why would you take your children outside to sleep? Especially when you have been drinking. I hope they find out what really happended to this poory baby.

 

[asher1979]

This is totally baffling. Everything about it is confusing. I wonder about the dog. My one dog is very protective of my daughter. I could easily see her trying to save her if something happened.

I really don't understand the bail. There's going to be more that comes out of this.

God bless this little boy.

 

[Reannan]

Does anyone know what kind of dog it was? The first 911 call that said a child had been bitten by a dog, makes me wonder if perhaps they knew that the baby had been attacked by the dog and perhaps drug to the fire pit. The actions of both parents since this horrible incident don't seem to indicate that the father intentionally killed the baby. The dog could also explain the "hole in the head". One would have thought there would have been some cries if the dog had attacked also. Bottom line - there is still a lot to learn about this tragic case.

 

[bakerprune64]

Does anyone know what kind of dog it was? The first 911 call that said a child had been bitten by a dog, makes me wonder if perhaps they knew that the baby had been attacked by the dog and perhaps drug to the fire pit. The actions of both parents since this horrible incident don't seem to indicate that the father intentionally killed the baby. The dog could also explain the "hole in the head". One would have thought there would have been some cries if the dog had attacked also. Bottom line - there is still a lot to learn about this tragic case.

I thought there had been two 911 calls that day, once for the dog bite and one later for the baby in the fire pit? Did I mis-read something?

Oh here it is:

Police said they went to the house to help paramedics who had received a call that a baby was bitten by a dog and a subsequent call about a baby who was burned.

************************************

So now my point is how close where the calls made?

 

[bakerprune64]

This is totally baffling. Everything about it is confusing. I wonder about the dog. My one dog is very protective of my daughter. I could easily see her trying to save her if something happened.

I really don't understand the bail. There's going to be more that comes out of this.

God bless this little boy.

"Deputy prosecutor Steven Kim asked for a high bail, saying that Rios, who also goes by the name Calderon Martinez and has been deported three times to Mexico, represented a flight risk and was wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also noted that Rios has a string of arrests and convictions for drug and alcohol offenses dating to 1990."

 

[southcitymom]

"Deputy prosecutor Steven Kim asked for a high bail, saying that Rios, who also goes by the name Calderon Martinez and has been deported three times to Mexico, represented a flight risk and was wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also noted that Rios has a string of arrests and convictions for drug and alcohol offenses dating to 1990."

Also, they said it was high because they consider him a suicide risk.

What a sad story. My prayers for this family. I feel for them.