Naugatuck father arraigned on infant’s killing; arrest warrant released

A convicted felon accused of brutally killing his infant daughter then evading capture for two weeks made his first court appearance Monday.

News 12 Staff

Dec 5, 2022, 12:18 PM

Updated 673 days ago

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A convicted felon accused of brutally killing his infant daughter then evading capture for two weeks made his first court appearance Monday.
Christopher Francisquini, 31, of Naugatuck, was arraigned in Waterbury Superior Court on charges of murder with special circumstances and risk of injury to a minor.
Surrounded by several marshals, Christopher Francisquini kept his head down, never acknowledging the judge or his public defenders throughout the proceeding. Family of 11-month-old Camilla Francisquini were in the packed courtroom, some of them in shirts with her picture on them. Members of the Naugatuck Police Department also attended and wore pink in memory of Camilla.
“This involves the death and horrific mutilation of a child two weeks before her first birthday,” Waterbury State’s Attorney Maureen Platt told the judge. “He is an extreme risk for flight. There is an extreme risk for public safety.”
Judge Joseph Schwartz agreed and set bond at $5 million for this case and $1.4 million for several pending cases. Schwartz called Francisquini “a uniquely significant flight risk” given the lengths he went to avoid arrest. Even if Francisquini can post bond, he will not be released from custody. Francisquini was on special parole for a 2012 assault conviction at the time of his daughter’s murder, and his parole has now been revoked, according to Platt.
The judge also issued protective orders against Francisquini for three people, including Camilla’s mother. Francisquini gave no response when Schwartz asked him if he understood. Francisquini also allegedly refused to speak with the bail commissioner and be fingerprinted Monday.
Francisquini is accused of stabbing, strangling, and dismembering his daughter inside their home on Montville Avenue in Naugatuck on Nov. 18. News 12 obtained his arrest warrant Monday, which offers up new details about the alleged crime and the circumstances surrounding it.
Francisiquini lived at his father’s home, along with his stepmother, siblings, daughter Camilla and her mother. His warrant said Camilla’s mother was at work when the murder occurred and was the one who later found her daughter mutilated in his room in the basement around 11:30 a.m. Family members presumed the infant was sleeping until the gruesome discovery, according to the warrant.
Camilla’s mother told police when she arrived home from work after 10 a.m., Francisquini said they needed to go out and get stuff for Thanksgiving and rushed her out the door. He allegedly wouldn’t let her change clothes or go into their bedroom. “Don’t touch the room. I’m going to clean when I get home,” according to the warrant.
It said Camilla’s mother thought they were going to Walmart but instead Francisquini drove to PetSmart in Waterbury to meet up with a man in the parking lot. While there, Francisquini allegedly broke her phone and his phone and later drove off. Police said he also cut off his court-mandated GPS ankle monitor in the parking lot.
Camilla’s mom went into the pet store to call for a ride and was dropped off at home, according to the warrant. Once there, she went to clean their room and found her daughter dead.
According to the warrant, she told police Francisquini was bipolar and was prescribed medication, but based on the way he was behaving, she did not believe he was taking his medication. She stated Francisquini was always hearing 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.”
Francisquini was on house arrest, along with special parole, at the time of the murder. Local, state, and federal law enforcement conducted a manhunt for him in Connecticut and surrounding states that ended Friday when a community member recognized Francisquini at a bus stop and called police.
A vigil was held at the Naugatuck Town Green Saturday to celebrate what would have been Camilla's first birthday. Her mother addressed the crowd through tears and said Francisquini’s arrest was the best gift she could have given her daughter.
“Every day you see your daughter. Every day. And then one day it just stops. I don't know how I’m going to do it,” she said emotionally.
Francisquini is set to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court Tuesday and Milford Superior Court Wednesday on charges he failed to show up there for pending cases there while he was on the run.