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5-Month-Old Sunnyside Girl's Death Ruled Homicide, Police Say

By  Kathleen Culliton and Chris Sommerfeldt | August 2, 2016 9:33am 

 Alaia Baque was found unconscious with head trauma in her Sunnyside home on Saturday, police said. 
Alaia Baque was found unconscious with head trauma in her Sunnyside home on Saturday, police said. 
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Chris Sommerfeldt

SUNNYSIDE — The death of a 5-month-old girl who suffered eight skull fractures on Saturday has been ruled a homicide, police said.

Alaia Baque was found unconscious in her home on Greenpoint Avenue, near 39th Street, around 8 a.m. Saturday morning, police said.

The baby was pronounced dead at Elmhurst General Hospital and the Medical Examiner’s Office deemed her death to be a homicide on Sunday, police said.

The cause of death was classified as "abusive head trauma," said police and a Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman. 

The baby's parents were being questioned by the Queens North homicide unit Tuesday morning but had not been arrested as of 11 a.m., police said. 

Pinku Thapa, 36, lives next door and described Baque as a finicky baby with patient parents. 

"When I hear the baby crying, the dad comes out with her in the stroller to calm her down," Thapa said. "They seemed nice to me."

Another neighbor who refused to give her name said the father often walked with his daughter's stroller in one hand and a cane in the other. 

"He's such a loving man," the neighbor said.  "It's unbelievable, I can't believe this happened."