ROCKAWAY BOROUGH, NJ (Morris County) – A Rockaway Borough man has been charged has been charged in connection with the January 21 death of his 5-week-old daughter, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.
Joseph Tarquini IV, 30, was charged on December 22 with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was granted pretrial release under the Criminal Justice Reform Act and released from custody, Carroll said.
On January 21, at around 4:55 p.m., Joseph Tarquini IV placed a 911 call for an unresponsive infant at 67 Willow Avenue in Rockaway. Upon arrival to that residence, first responders located Tarquini and his infant daughter, who was in medical distress, Carroll said.
The infant, who was identified as M.T., was transported to St. Clare’s Denville Hospital for treatment, but was later pronounced dead, Carroll said.
Following an autopsy, the Morris County Medical Examiner determined the cause of the infant’s death to be acceleration/deceleration head injury and ruled the manner of death to be homicide, Carroll said.
The Rockaway Borough Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit assisted in the investigation.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200.
