Thread: WA: IA dad pleads not guilty in baby's fire pit death

Wash. dad pleads not guilty in baby's death in fire pit
07:24 AM PDT on Thursday, July 10, 2008
Associated Press

SEATTLE -- A man whose 7-month-old son died in a fire pit at the family home in Federal Way pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter charges.

Last month, King County prosecutors alleged in charging documents that 38-year-old Alberto Chacon Rios had been drinking and fell asleep while holding the baby near the fire pit.

The King County medical examiner's office says the baby -- Diego Rios Santana -- died of smoke inhalation and burns over 100 percent of his body.

Second-degree manslaughter alleges that an unintentional death resulted from negligent behavior by the defendant. If convicted, Rios faces a standard sentencing range of 21 to 27 months in prison.

Rios is an illegal alien who has been deported three times to Mexico. He's due in court again on July 22.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/k ... e.html?npc

This must be another example of the "strong family values", that our government tells us that they hold so dear.

Federal Way man pleads not guilty in infant son's death in fire pit

After first indicating Wednesday that he wanted to plead guilty, 38-year-old Alberto Rios ended up pleading not guilty to a second-degree manslaughter charge in the death of his infant son in a backyard fire pit in Federal Way.

By Natalie Singer

Seattle Times staff reporter




CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Alberto Rios looks back at family members Wednesday after he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Seattle. He is charged with second-degree manslaughter in his infant son's death in June.
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After first indicating Wednesday that he wanted to plead guilty, a Federal Way man pleaded not guilty to a second-degree manslaughter charge in the death of his infant son in a backyard fire pit.

Family members watched the court proceedings in tears, then crowded up to wave their support to Alberto Rios as he was led away by jail guards.

An attorney who represented Rios, 38, said before a morning arraignment that he wanted to accept responsibility and plead guilty before prosecutors could amend the case with more severe charges. But after reading a letter at a hearing Wednesday afternoon in which the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office assured Rios' attorneys there were no plans to file more charges and urged Rios to take more time considering his case, Rios' attorneys entered a not-guilty plea for him.

Rios still can enter a guilty plea as early as today if he talks it over with his attorneys and decides that's what he wants, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steven Kim said.

Rios was represented by different attorneys from the same organization in the morning and afternoon sessions.

Defense attorney Julie Lawry had said Wednesday morning that Rios wanted to bring a quick end to the legal proceedings that followed the death of his 7-month-old son, Diego Alberto Rios-Santana.

"He's devastated," she said.

Police were called to Rios' home in the 2600 block of Southwest 333rd Place at 12:02 a.m. June 22.

Rios told police he fell asleep on a bench near the fire pit with Diego on his chest. When he awoke, he said, he found his son dead in the fire pit.

Rios was arrested two days later.

According to court documents, Rios and his wife, Maria Santana, hosted a party at their home on the night of June 21. A next-door neighbor said the couple had a fire burning in a backyard fire pit.

Court documents say after guests left, Diego was crying and Rios' wife told Rios she believed the baby was getting sick.



Rios said he would take the baby outside to sleep with him and his 4-year-old daughter accompanied him, according to court documents. When he awoke around midnight, his daughter and infant son were gone.

That's when he found the baby in the fire pit, court documents say. Police found Rios cradling his son by the fire pit, crying hysterically, according to court documents.

Rios told police he drank between three and six beers during the party at his house that night, and was tired from working all day, court documents say.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office said Diego died of smoke inhalation and burns to his entire body.

Rios, who has used different aliases and birth dates in the past, has been deported to his native Mexico three times — in 1994, 1996 and in 2001, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.

Rios was convicted of four cocaine-related charges between 1991 and 1994 and of marijuana possession in 1990, court documents say.

He faces 21 to 27 months in prison if convicted as charged.

Natalie Singer: 206-464-2704 or nsinger@seattletimes.com

Staff writer Leslie Anne Jones contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... by10m.html

Yeah, I've caught some of the regional coverage about the perp - what a winner It's too bad WE get pegged with the incarceration costs . He should be jailed... in Mexico.

This might prove to be a bit of a 'wake up call' to folks in Washington.

God, I want to sl@p that fat dopey face of his. Loser.

3 deportations and previous charges for cocaine? Why the heck wasn't this guy in prison already?

Originally Posted by cvangel

3 deportations and previous charges for cocaine? Why the heck wasn't this guy in prison already?

If he was anything but Mexican, including a US citizen, he would be in jail, but it seems we skip the jail sentences with the illegals and just deport them so they can come back and break more of our laws.

Rios said he would take the baby outside to sleep with him and his 4-year-old daughter accompanied him, according to court documents. When he awoke around midnight, his daughter and infant son were gone.

That's when he found the baby in the fire pit, court documents say. Police found Rios cradling his son by the fire pit, crying hysterically, according to court documents.

What makes them think Rios, in a drunken stuper, didn't dump the crying baby in the fire pit intentionally? The whole story could have been created by Rios and his family to avoid a 1st degree murder charge. Obviously there are no witnesses to the actual accident (if it was an accident). If I was the D.A., I'd be attempting to prove that Rios purposely dumped the baby in the fire pit simply because he tired of the constant screaming and crying. How does a 7-month old baby accidently fall into a flaming fire pit?

Originally Posted by MW

Rios said he would take the baby outside to sleep with him and his 4-year-old daughter accompanied him, according to court documents. When he awoke around midnight, his daughter and infant son were gone.

That's when he found the baby in the fire pit, court documents say. Police found Rios cradling his son by the fire pit, crying hysterically, according to court documents.

What makes them think Rios, in a drunken stuper, didn't dump the crying baby in the fire pit intentionally? The whole story could have been created by Rios and his family to avoid a 1st degree murder charge. Obviously there are no witnesses to the actual accident (if it was an accident). If I was the D.A., I'd be attempting to prove that Rios purposely dumped the baby in the fire pit simply because he tired of the constant screaming and crying. How does a 7-month old baby accidently fall into a flaming fire pit?

I agree. But it's too bad he didn't fall into the fire pit himself, while he was drunk, then the U.S would be rid of this creep. He was probably crying because he's a coward and that's what cowards do best - cry while thinking of only of themselves.

Originally Posted by Americanpatriot

Originally Posted by MW

Rios said he would take the baby outside to sleep with him and his 4-year-old daughter accompanied him, according to court documents. When he awoke around midnight, his daughter and infant son were gone.

That's when he found the baby in the fire pit, court documents say. Police found Rios cradling his son by the fire pit, crying hysterically, according to court documents.

What makes them think Rios, in a drunken stuper, didn't dump the crying baby in the fire pit intentionally? The whole story could have been created by Rios and his family to avoid a 1st degree murder charge. Obviously there are no witnesses to the actual accident (if it was an accident). If I was the D.A., I'd be attempting to prove that Rios purposely dumped the baby in the fire pit simply because he tired of the constant screaming and crying. How does a 7-month old baby accidently fall into a flaming fire pit?

I agree. But it's too bad he didn't fall into the fire pit himself, while he was drunk, then the U.S would be rid of this creep. He was probably crying because he's a coward and that's what cowards do best - cry while thinking of only of themselves.

Further more, how could the baby's screaming in pain from being on fire not wake him up??? Anyone who falls into a fire pit is gonna be screaming bloody murder at least at first!

If he only had 6-8 beers he could not have been THAT passed out. Given his past history, his tolerance for drugs and alchohol should be way up there. A few beers should be nothing to this loser. Something is REALLY fishy and not adding up!