39-20 Greenpoint Avenue (GMaps)
Nov. 22, 2016 Staff Report
A Sunnyside man has been arrested for the murder of his infant daughter, according to police.
Jorge Baque has been charged in the high-profile death of his 5-month-old daughter, Alaia Baque, who died after suffering eight skull fractures and a bruise to the back of her head in July.
On July 30, police responded to a call at 39-20 Greenpoint Avenue, and upon arrival found the child unconscious and unresponsive. The girl was transported to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Investigators deemed the death a homicide, and following a long investigation, charged Jorge Baque, the infant’s father, with second degree murder and Assault Acting In a Manner Injurious to a Child under the age of 17.
During the investigation, the child’s mother told investigators that the child obtained the injuries during a ritual to get rid of the “evil eye,” according to a report from the New York Daily News, though the arrest of Baque indicates that this was not the case.
The second-degree murder charge carries with it a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.
