COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Humboldt Park man has been charged with murdering his 2-month-old daughter, who died earlier this year of child abuse.
Christopher Villegas was charged with murder this week in the case, after he allegedly shook the baby while caring for her in January, leading to her death in February.
Villegas was earlier arrested for aggravated domestic battery after he repeatedly choked and hit the girl's mother in an incident Feb. 13, four days after the girl's death.
It was during an investigation into that Feb. 13 attack that Villegas, 18, told police he "shook the baby too hard" until her "eyes became glazed" prior to her Feb. 9 death, Assistant State's Attorney Craig Taczy said during a bond hearing Thursday.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese, Jr., in February agreed to release Villegas on electronic monitoring for the domestic battery. But when the Humboldt Park teen appeared before Panarese again Thursday, the judge had a different approach.
"We have a dead 2-month-old," Panarese said. "Bond will be denied."
According to prosecutors, on Jan. 17, a witness cared for Villegas' infant daughter, Aliya Acosta. The girl behaved normally and "presented no signs of injury or distress" at that time, Taczy said.
Villegas came home at 2:30 p.m. that day, and the witness then heard the baby cry out "in a strange way" while the girl was alone with Villegas, Taczy said.
The witness found Aliya lying on a bed next to vomit, prosecutors noted. The girl was discolored, having difficulty breathing and showing little to no responsiveness.
Villegas and the witness took Aliya to St. Mary's Hospital, where she stopped breathing and had a low heart rate, prosecutors said.
Aliya was later intubated and taken to Lurie Children's Hospital, where she was diagnosed with bilateral subdural hematomas, broken ribs and global ischemic injury, Taczy said. The injury is caused by a lack of blood flow to the girl's brain.
The family eventually withdrew life support on Feb. 9.
Aliya's death was ruled a homicide.
The Department of Children and Family Services soon began investigating Aliya's relatives and caregivers — none of whom had prior contact with DCFS, officials said.
Police arrested Villegas, of the 3500 block of West Pierce Avenue, on Feb. 13 after he reportedly attacked Aliya's mother by throwing her to a couch, choking her and repeatedly hitting her, court records show. He was released on his own recognizance with electronic monitoring.
Villegas was arrested Wednesday for his daughter's murder. He is now charged with first-degree murder.
Assistant Public Defender John Wilson said Villegas is a junior in an alternative high school. He has no prior criminal record.
