A Naugatuck man accused of killing and dismembering his daughter was back before a judge Tuesday morning, one day after being arraigned for her murder. Christopher Francisquini appeared in Bridgeport Superior Court on charges he missed a recent hearing in a pending assault case there while he was on the run wanted for allegedly killing the infant on Nov. 18. 

The case in Bridgeport involves the alleged assaults of an inmate and guard while Francisquini was in custody at the Bridgeport Correctional Center in November 2021 after he was arrested the previous day for an alleged carjacking at the VA Hospital in West Haven.

In court, Francisquini's public defender asked he be placed on suicide watch and receive mental health treatment. The 31-year-old convicted felon seemed more alert than the previous day in Waterbury Superior Court.

During that hearing Monday, Francisquini kept his head down throughout the proceeding and didn't respond to the judge when asked questions. The judge ordered Francisquini held on a total of $6.4 million for the death of 11-month-old Camilla Francisquini and $1.4 million dollars for his other cases.

Francisquini is set to appear remotely in Milford Superior Court Wednesday for allegedly missing a hearing in his case there while on the run.

At the time of the murder, Francisquini was on special parole after serving several years in prison for a 2012 assault. He was also on house arrest with GPS monitoring for his pending charges. How closely he was watched and why the search for him didn't start right when he left the house is now under investigation.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said violent repeat offenders are making bond much more often in the past several years, and he called on legislators to look into it.

"I think there needs to be a lot of conversations about the judicial system as it operates right now, bond reform as it was enacted several years ago and how its impacted us, especially in urban communities and just the release of people back into our communities when they have committed recidivism that include violent acts," Spagnolo said. "I don't necessarily know if someone that shoots somebody or someone that's engaged in recidivism of violence—if posting a cash bond is really a deterrent for them to come back into the community and get on the right track."

According to his arrest warrant, Francisquini, his daughter, and his daughter's mother, lived at Francisquini's father's home on Millville Avenue in Naugatuck, along with his stepmother, stepbrother and sister. The warrant said Francisquini stabbed and strangled Camilla in his room in the basement while her mother was at work. Other family members were home but presumed the child was sleeping.

When Camilla's mother came home after 10 a.m., Francisquini rushed her out the door right away, and did not let her into their bedroom, telling her they needed to shop for Thanksgiving, the warrant stated. She told police instead of going to Walmart, Francisquini drove them to PetSmart in Waterbury to meet someone in the parking lot. Camilla's mother said Francisquini began acting strange and the two got into an argument, during which he destroyed his phone and her phone. Police said Francisquini then cut off his GPS ankle monitor and took off.

A two-week manhunt ended Friday when Waterbury police arrested Francisquini at a bus stop after a tip from a community member.

"Our officers got there. They were able to secure a perimeter. They were able to make sure the community was safe. They were able to make sure they were safe themselves and give him the proper commands and take him into custody with merely a show of force," Spagnolo told the media. "That shows a lot of fortitude. That shows a willingness to put themselves at risk. And I really commend them for that."

According to his arrest warrant, Camilla's mother told police Francisquini was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was prescribed medication, but based on the way he was behaving, she did not believe he was taking his medication. She stated Francisquini often heard things and told her "the voices keep telling him to kill his father," according to the warrant. Camilla's mother also said Francisquini never said anything about hurting his daughter and "treated her as if she was everything."