SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – A 6-week-old baby found dead in a West Springfield hotel room died of head injuries caused by his 3-year-old brother, prosecutors said in a case the city’s top cop called “extremely awful.”
SHampden District Attorney William Bennett said the older boy admitted injuring his brother while his mother was out of the room.
The infant, Ethan Luce, was taken to a Springfield hospital on Sunday morning, where he was pronounced dead. Bennett said the mother, Erica Luce, left the boys alone for about three hours.
Luce said she found the baby covered in cold water and lying naked near an air conditioner on full blast.
Bennett said Luce is likely to face charges, including negligence, adding that her claim that a stranger broke into the room and killed the baby was implausible.
The older boy is in state custody. It could not immediately be determined whether the mother has a lawyer.
Police Chief Thomas Burke called the case “extremely awful.”
