East Haven mother shares story following the death of her 7-month-old son

EAST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A mother is sharing her story after her seven-month-old baby passed away in East Haven.

“I’m never going to get to see him walk,” Elizabeth Portocarrero, of Ansonia, said. “His first Halloween. His first Thanksgiving. His Christmas. His first birthday.”

It’s impossible to put into words the pain and heartbreak Elizabeth Portocarrero feels after losing her son, Angel Josiah Rodriguez.

“This one was just learning how to be a brother,” Portocarrero said, while gesturing to her other son, Alexander Kai Rodriguez. “Now, everything is gone.”

East Haven police said they responded to Redfield Avenue on Sunday night. Officers found the baby unresponsive after police said he was left unattended in the bathtub.  Portocarrero told News 8 he was in the care of the baby’s father and other family while she was at work.

“All that was asked of him was to take care of my children while I worked to provide for them,” she said. “He couldn’t do that.”

“She wasn’t even there when it happened,” the baby’s aunt, Marisol Fernandez, said. “He was in the care of other family members, and we wanted people to understand.”

While Portocarrero is left with unimaginable grief and sadness, she’s hoping her son will be able to save someone else’s life.

“If my son’s life was cut short, I wanted it to have meaning,” she said. “I chose to donate his organs, so no other mother has to go through what I’m going through right now.”

She’s now demanding justice and accountability.

“I want justice for my sons,” Portocarrero said.  “For both of them.  Because he does not deserve this.”

Portocarrero also wanted to spread awareness to other families.

“Don’t leave your kids unattended,” she said. “It just takes a second. It literally does. This could have all been prevented.”

As for the investigation, East Haven police said it remains active and ongoing. They said they’re continuing to piece together what led up to this tragedy.

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