Elmhurst Infantacide

The Crown Motor Inn was the setting for a bizarre murder in which a father hanged his baby son and then calmly confessed to the desk clerk. The man, identified as 26-year-old Juan Batista, a fitness instructor and Corona resident, had custody of his son, 22-month-old Omar Arias, for the weekend when he left his familys home with the sleeping child. He told family members that he would only be gone for ten minutes, and from there Batista headed for the Crown Motor Inn, where he checked into a room.
In the early morning hours of July 26, Batista left the room and walked down to the lobby, where he told the hotel desk clerk that he had killed someone. He then told the clerk to call the authorities.
Police from the 110th Precinct rushed to the scene, where they found little Omar hanging from the shower curtain rod by an extension cord. All attempts to resuscitate the child were in vain, and the body was taken to Elmhurst General Hospital for examination. Batista remained on the scene and surrendered to police without a struggle. He was charged with murder and is currently awaiting arraignment.
On Friday, Omars mother, Alexandra Arias, dropped the child off with Batista while she was in Queens visiting her parents. When Batista saw Arias with her new boyfriend, the two had a heated argument and then Batista stormed off with Omar. He and Arias had been separated for a year and shared custody of the child. Some investigators have speculated that Batista went berserk when he saw Arias with her new boyfriend. He had a history of depression and had previously attempted suicide over a breakup with another woman.
Batista underwent psychological evaluation at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. It is not known whether he attempted to kill himself as well, or if he had any intention of murdering the childs mother, but according to one family member, Batista may have been stalking Arias.
Omars mother was treated for shock at Elmhurst General Hospital and then released into the care of her parents.