Rhode Island man indicted on murder and child abuse charges concerning death of 1-year-old son

A Rhode Island man is facing new charges in the death of his young son.

According to Det. Sgt. Christopher LeFort, in February, Pawtucket Police and Fire responded to an apartment on Arthur Street for the report of an unresponsive 1 year old.

Upon arrival, the child was found to be not breathing and presented with significant bruising to his facial area. Life saving measures were performed, and the child was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Due to the suspicious circumstances, the residents of the apartment were transported to police headquarters for further investigation/interview by detectives. After further investigation, three adult females were each charged with one count of Child Endangerment. An adult male was charged with Manslaughter, three counts of 2nd Degree Child Abuse, and Child Endangerment.

All 4 lived in the same apartment where 1-year-old Santiago Ledo was located.

The females were identified as 22-year-old Carolina V. Ledo of Pawtucket, RI (mother), 32-year-old Carla Sousa of Pawtucket, RI, and 25-year-old Daniela Ledo of Pawtucket, RI (aunt). All three were arraigned in District Court on Monday.

The male and believed to be the father of the child, 25-year-old Joao Resendes of Pawtucket, RI, was indicted on new charges Thursday by a Providence County Grand Jury which included one count of second-degree murder, and one count of second-degree child abuse.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the alleged acts occurred in the City of Pawtucket on diverse dates between January 14 and February 11, 2024. The Pawtucket Police Department conducted the investigation.

On Friday, Resendes was arraigned in Providence County Superior Court and is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on October 23, 2024.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was created for a memorial for the 1-year-old.