A DAD allegedly killed his son with a baseball bat after claiming he was being disrespectful to him.
Anthony A Esposito Jr claimed the boy, also named Anthony, 12, swore at him and gave him the middle finger.
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And, Esposito, 52, claimed he heard voices from his parents, who were apparently instructing him to punish his child.
Esposito’s mom reportedly told him: “Baseball bat, baseball bat,” according to a report seen by The Stamford Advocate.
That was when he allegedly used the bat to hit Anthony in the back of the head on May 1.
Cops revealed Esposito left his Branford, Connecticut, home at around 3:15pm to pick up his daughter, 16, from the bus stop.
And, she asked about his sibling, prompting Esposito to allegedly push her down the stairs.
Esposito reportedly told cops that he would’ve killed her had he been able to retrieve the bat.
She managed to escape the property following the alleged assault.
Anthony’s body was found around 15 minutes after cops received a call reporting the incident.
The boy’s remains were discovered in the basement and medics ruled he had died at the scene.
Esposito left the home for a second time before being later stopped by cops.
He was arrested during a traffic stop and didn’t resist being taken into custody.
Officials were left horrified by what unfolded inside the home.
“I have no words other than it’s heartbreaking and just makes absolutely no sense,” James Cosgrove, a local government official, told reporters.
“As a parent, it’s very painful for me to think about the death of this child and what the family is going through right now.”
He described Anthony’s death as a senseless loss.
Esposito claimed he had suffered mental health issues during his childhood.
TRIBUTES POUR IN
Tributes have been paid to sixth-grade student Anthony.
Devastated pal Andrew Edgar said he was a kind boy, as reported by the NBC affiliate WTNH-TV.
“Anthony was a very nice kid,” Matthew Edgar, another friend, added.
In a GoFundMe post, Anthony’s aunt, Carolyn Bast, described the boy as “sweet and loving.”
She revealed he touched the hearts of everyone he met.
“His smile, laughter, and kind soul brought warmth to our lives, and his absence leaves an unimaginable void,” she said.
Almost $70,000 has been donated to the fundraiser, which will go toward a memorial and funeral expenses.
Esposito has been charged with murder in special circumstances.
He was flanked by at least 10 judicial marshals when he appeared in court.
And he was being held behind bars on a $3 million bond.
If convicted, Esposito will be sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole.