Father accused of stabbing his child

Waterbury (WTNH) - A Waterbury man accused of stabbing and strangling his 8 month old daughter made a brief court appearance today.

Orlando Figueroa didn't say much at his arraignment. He didn't have to. When he was arrested Friday he told police he stabbed his own 8 month old daughter.

"I stabbed her in the back then I turned her over and stabbed her on her chest. I don't know how many times I stabbed her, but it was like 2 or 3 times. I then tied something around her neck and she started choking. I did this because I wanted Yailin to feel the pain I did when she cheated on me," Figueroa said in the police statement.

Yailin Cancel is the baby's mother and Figueroa's girlfriend. She was too upset to talk to us, but she told police Figueroa thought she was cheating on him, and had threatened to kill her and their two children.

On Friday, after Figueroa says he stabbed the baby, Keilyn, he told police he took the 20 month old, Kiara at knife-point and locked himself in another apartment. Police had to break in the door.

Figueroa says: "When police came in the door, I was holding Kiara and I put the knife to her neck. The police came in and told me to drop the knife, but I didn't. They took the knife from me and someone grabbed Kiara from me. I still fought with the police and they put the handcuffs on me."

It's not the first time he's been in handcuffs. He was charged with rape in his native Puerto Rico in 1996, and he has a long list of convictions in this country.

"An interfering conviction in '05 where he had a $500 fine. A threatening second conviction out of Bridgeport in '02. Another threatening conviction in Bridgeport in 2000," said Francine Harrison, Bail Commissioner's Office.

After court officials spoke, Yailin, the girlfriend shouted from the seats in Spanish, "Give him death." The outburst got her thrown out of the courtroom, and she literally ran away rather than speak to reporters.

The good news is the baby seems to be improving. The girl was last listed in serious condition at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Figeuroa is being held on $1 million bond. He's been charged with criminal attempt to commit murder and two counts of risk of injury to a child.