Crime & Safety

Toms River Parents Charged in Death of Month-Old Baby Girl

Prosecutors: baby died of exsanguination and compression trauma of the chest

A mother and father from Toms River are facing charges of aggravated manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the death of their one month-old baby girl last summer, authorities announced Tuesday.

Giovanna Rojas, 32, and Michael Rojas, 37, took their baby girl – identified only as J.R. – to Community Medical Center on Aug. 27, 2013, just after 8:30 p.m., and hospital staff determined she was not breathing, according to prosecutor's office spokesman Al Della Fave. Hospital staff tried to revive the baby, who was born July 17, 2013, and transferred her to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, but she died at approximately 1:52 a.m. the next morning.

Della Fave said an autopsy performed later that day showed the baby's death was determined to be exsanguination and compression trauma of the chest and abdomen, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.

Before formal criminal charges were filed Feb. 14, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato ordered an extensive review of the case, the scope of which included the child’s medical history and all related documents, the medical examiner’s findings and conclusions and all information and interviews gathered by the investigators during the course of the investigation, Della Fave said.

Giovanna Rojas is being held in the Ocean County Jail in default of bail that was set at $200,000 cash only by the Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson, Jr. Michael Rojas is being held in the Ocean County Jail in default of bail that was set at $250,000 cash by Hodgson.

Both defendants are scheduled to be formally arraigned in Superior Court in Toms River at 1:30 pm Tuesday, Della Fave said.

Any person with information relevant to the investigation is being asked to contact Detective Brian Haggerty of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 732-506-5046 or Detective Alex Scherer of the Toms River Police Department at 732-349-0150 Ext 1220.


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