Aaden Moreno Murdered After Court Fails to Issue Protective Order – Judge Pinkus instructs Victim to “work out a parenting plan”

Middletown, Connecticut: A 7 month old infant was killed by his father just a few weeks after a Court failed to give the mother (and applicant) a permanent restraining order. The Judge also told the victim to co-parent with her abuser. When she did so, the father gained access to the child, and killed him. 

Listen to what the judge’s reason for denying the protective order... During a hearing on June 29, 2015, Judge Barry C. Pinkus offered these words in Court to Adrianne Oyola (19), mother seeking a permanent protective order for herself and her 7 month old child, Aaden: “I’m not convinced that there’s a continuous threat of present physical pain or physical injury.

I just think the two of you don’t have a good relationship and you need to get – somebody needs to go downstairs and file a custody application, and you need to work out a parental rights agreement..

I’m not satisfied that this-that he’s-that you’re in imminent fear, in imminent harm that he’s going to come over, and you know, cause you physical harm or physical violence… ”

Judge Barry C. Pinkus went on to say that both parties were acting like “children”, basically making the abuser and the victim of abuse equal (which is victim blaming)and that they just need to grow up, and learn to co-parent. Just a few weeks later, Aadan was murdered by his father, Tony Moreno (21). 

Adrianne Oyola (19), mother, filed a restraining order on June 17th against her abusive ex partner, Tony Moreno (21), claiming that he hit her, threatened her life and told her that he could make their 7 month old son, Aaden, “disappear any time of the day“. Adrianne received a temporary restraining order at the time of the application.

On the June 29 the temporary order was reviewed, to see if Adrianne qualified for a permanent order. Adrianne Oyola testified to Judge Pinkus that her ex partner, Tony, was physically abusive, emotionally abusive, and controlling. Adrianne also testified that Tony would physically take her son, Aaden, in order to control her. Tony allegedly would use his body as a barrier between Aaden, so that she could not get access to him or protect him. She says that Tony fractured her ankle. She also claims that Tony violated the temporary restraining order by having a friend contact her, stating that Tony’s mom is sick and wants to see Adrianne and the baby. When the “friend” went to pick Adrianne and Aaden up, she did not see the mom but was instead confronted by Tony, who was attempting to intimidate her to drop the restraining order. After the break-up, Adrianne reported that she felt Tony was watching her, and that he knew where her sister was even when she, herself, did not know. Tony then allegedly texted Adrianne telling her where the sister is.

Tony responds that Adrianne “throws temper tantrums” and is out of control, insinuating she is a danger to him.

Since the restraining order was not continued, Adrianne attempted to work out a custody agreement, privately, with Tony.

On July 5, text messages before the murder clearly show that Adrianne was attempting to co-parent with Tony in the moments before Aaden was killed, as instructed by Judge Perkus to “work out a parenting plan where you know when the baby will be with mommy and when the baby will be with daddy” and “the two of you need to figure this out for the sake of your child” and “if you want your child to grow up healthy and be well, you need to grow up with each other as adults, and you’re not doing that right now. You’re dealing with each other like you’re children.”

An excerpt of the text messages reads:

“11:41 T to A: You tried to take him away from me. You failed. I didn’t
11:42 T to A: Enjoy your life without us now
11:42 A to T: Where are you?!
11:43 A to T: Tony I’m trying to make this co parent thing work!
11:44 T to A: Your not a parent anymore”

That same night, Tony took Aaden and  jumped from the Arrigoni Bridge between Middletown and Portland, Connecticut. Tony survived 120-foot fall from the bridge, and Aaden did not. Aaden Moreno’s lifeless body was found in the river downstream in East Haddam, Connecticut. Tony remains in stable condition at the hospital.

Domestic Violence by Proxy is the term used to describe what happens when an abuser no longer has access to a victim, so he will intimidate,  control, threaten or seek retaliation against their former partner by using the child as a weapon. Some abusers hurt the child in order to inflict hurt and pain on their former partner. Some children, like Aaden, are murdered.

Courts have a crucial role in protecting women and children from the threat of violence by recognizing the signs of abuse, and taking legal action to protect victims. State Sen. Mae Flexer issued a strong statement against the court’s failings, “This tragedy was preventable and I am again calling for increased training requirements for all judges and court personnel who work with victims of domestic violence. For years I have been working to increase training requirements for judges and any such requirements have been met with great resistance by the Judicial Branch. Failure to protect this baby when the signs were so clear is unacceptable.”

Read More: 

6/29/2015 Restraining Order Hearing in Superior Court Oyola v. Moreno: Restraining Order Hearing

Body of child missing after dad jumps off Conn. bridge located

Mother Feared For Child’s Safety, Records Show

Text messages reveal final moments before baby Aaden’s death

Aaden Moreno. Source: WCBV 5 ABC News