A Waterbury uncle has been charged with murder after police said he stabbed and killed his 1-year-old niece at a home on Park Street in Bristol on Monday evening.
Arthur Hapgood, 36, of Waterbury, has been charged with the murder of Zaniyah Calloway.
According to the incident report from police, Hapgood admitted to the stabbing and told officers he had taken illegal drugs.
Police said Hapgood stabbed Zaniyah with a large kitchen knife and she suffered a deep gash to her mid-section. An 11-year-old was also home in the care of someone else at the time of the stabbing.
“I think there should be justice. I don’t think he should get away with this. He was perfectly fine when I was there with him. Why kill a little innocent baby? She never did anything to him,” Shakyia Danay Clay, the baby's mother said.
Hapgood appeared in court on Tuesday and applause broke out as the judge raised his bond from $1.5 million to $2.5 million.
"I just want justice. Why would you do this to a baby girl?" said Juan Negron, a man who identified himself as a relative of the baby, through tears. "Just ask him why."
Negron repeatedly denied in court that Hapgood is Zaniyah's uncle.
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Nearly a dozen police cruisers swarmed the intersection of Park and Tulip streets at shortly before 7:30 p.m. Monday, responding to a 911 call reporting that a baby had been injured during a disturbance at 211 Park Street, police said.
When police arrived, a resident ran to them carrying a small child. She had no pulse and was not breathing, according to police.
It's unclear who called 911.
More officers responded to the home and found Hapgood naked on the front porch and put him in handcuffs. He was cooperative when they took him into custody, police said.
Officers rendered medical treatment at the scene and Zaniyah was rushed to Bristol Hospital, according to the police report. A LifeStar medical helicopter then airlifted the baby to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, where she was treated for life-threatening injuries and ultimately died.
As police searched the home, they found a blood-covered kitchen knife and Hapgood admitted to committing the stabbing, the incident report says. He also told police he had taken drugs beforehand. When police questioned which illegal drugs Hapgood had taken, he said, "all of them."
Hapgood had wounds that appeared to be self-inflicted, but not necessarily intentional, according to police, and might have fallen. He was taken to Bristol Hospital for treatment. After his release from the hospital, Hapgood was transported to the Bristol Police Department.
Hapgood was charged with murder with special circumstances, first-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor.
Police said the last two charges were filed because an 11-year-old was home during the stabbing under the care of a family member.
"From the child, we heard lots of screaming and then a few adults or teenagers screaming get somebody on the ambulance, get somebody on the phone," said Olivia Mattei, a neighbor. "They were just really worried about what was going to happen to the child."
Police have not released details on the sequence of events that led to the fatal stabbing of the baby.
Investigators took photographs of the crime scene and interviewed residents.
“We’ll be questioning all of the witnesses, people in the neighborhood, and [seeing] if we can find the reason why,” said Bristol police Lt. Kevin Morrell. "We may never know. That’s what we’ll be working on now."
Hapgood is due back in court Sept. 9.
