New details emerge in horrific CT slaying of toddler; police seek her father to charge him with murder

The Naugatuck Police Department Monday released new details surrounding Friday’s horrific slaying of an 11-month-old girl, as they continued searching for her father, the suspect in her death.

Naugatuck police have obtained an arrest warrant charging suspect Christopher Francisquini, 31, with murder in connection with the death of his 11-month-old daughter, Camilla Francisquini, according to police.

The warrant charges Francisquini with murder with special circumstances — which comes with a mandatory life sentence if convicted — and risk of injury to a minor. He is wanted for the slaying of his daughter, who was located in a home on Millville Avenue in Naugatuck on Friday, according to police.

The child was found dead by a family member in the home around 11:30 a.m., according to Naugatuck Police Chief Colin McAllister. The family member called the police. Police said they believe she was killed earlier in the morning.

Responding officers found the child’s body dismembered. Her death was ruled a homicide by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office and her cause of death was ruled as neck compressions and stab wounds, McAllister said at a press conference Monday.

During the investigation, the police determined Francisquini was the suspect, according to McAllister. A motive for the killing is unclear at this time, he said.

He was allegedly involved in a dispute with the victim’s mother in Waterbury, police said. The mother was not injured in the fight. After this incident, Francisquini took off a court-ordered GPS tracking device and destroyed his cell phone, McAllister said. He said police believe this disturbance occurred after the victim was killed.

The family launched a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses. Loved ones wrote on the fundraised that “this precious baby girl was taken from us at the hands of her own father.” As of Monday, they had raised $2,400 of the $20,000 goal.

Francisquini’s younger sister shared a statement on Facebook calling her niece’s death “an unimaginable tragedy.”

“No words can describe the emotions and feelings my family and I are all going through,” she said.

She described her niece as a “sweet, beautiful baby girl” and said “her smile lit up a room.”

Francisquini is not yet in police custody, McAllister said. Police are working with other state and federal agencies to locate him. He is considered armed and dangerous, police said.

“My message to Francisquini is turn yourself in immediately,” McAllister said Monday. “We will not rest until we take you into custody. We will be putting forward every effort to locate and apprehend this suspect and bring him to justice. This is an unconscionable act. It is a heinous crime.”

A man matching Francisquini’s description was seen on Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven around 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

A gray Chevrolet Impala matching the description of the car that the suspect was last seen driving was located by police on Interstate 91 near Exit 8 in New Haven on Friday, police said. According to police, this was a family member’s car. A witness reported seeing him flee into a wooded area near where the vehicle was located, McAllister said Monday.

Police received several notices from people in New Haven reporting interactions with Francisquini since he was photographed on Quinnipiac Avenue, McAllister said.

“So we’re appealing again to the public to try to follow this, and if they see anything, if they know anything, if they think there’s even a remote chance that they may have seen Francisquini, to contact law enforcement immediately,” McAllister said.

McAllister said investigators are not ruling anything out regarding Francisquini’s whereabouts at this point.

Francisquini will be held on a $5 million bond. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect in this case, said FBI Spent Agent David Sundberg.

“We’ve been working with the Naugatuck PD and Connecticut State Police and all of their local and state partners to try to bring this crime to closure and this subject to justice,” Sundberg said.

Francisquini was previously convicted of assault and drug charges. According to court records, he also has several pending assault and theft-related cases.

“It is not lost on me that we are discussing another offender in our community who has an extensive criminal history of violent acts and violent crimes,” McAllister said at the press conference on Friday.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding Francisquini. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Naugatuck Police Department at 203-729-5221.

Information from Courant reporter Taylor Hartz was used in this report.