Hudson County Man Charged In Death Of 4-Month-Old Daughter

NORTH BERGEN, NJ — Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced Wednesday that a North Bergen man was charged this week with first-degree murder following a grand jury indictment for his "role in the death" of his 4-month-old daughter, who died from traumatic brain injuries in March, 2018.

Raul Torres, 27, was pulled over in North Bergen on Tuesday and arrested, the prosecutor said.

On Dec. 17, the jury in Hudson County handed up an indictment of Torres. He was charged with first-degree murder and with two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

The prosecutor's office said that on Feb. 13, 2018, at approximately 8:45 a.m., a Jersey City Police officer stationed at Jersey City Medical Center contacted the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit to report that a 4-month old child had been transported to the hospital by ambulance, unresponsive and not breathing.

SVU detectives was also informed that, according to the prosecutor, the baby had bruising on her forehead, a partial skull fracture, and a subdural hemorrhage.

The infant, later identified as Khaleesi Torres, was transported to Newark Beth Israel where she succumbed to her injuries three weeks later, on March 3, 2018.

Torres was arrested at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday on Sedore Avenue by North Bergen Police after a traffic stop. He was processed on the homicide warrant that was issued following the indictment.

Authorities did not state how Torres received her injuries. More information will be posted if it is received.

An earlier report on NJ.com says that Torres gave an explanation at a hearing in 2018. He was free pending prosecution until his arrest this week.

Prosecutor Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit, the Jersey City Police Department and the North Bergen Police Department for the investigation and arrest.

The above charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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