A Uniondale man is being charged with murdering the baby of his girlfriend while she was at work on Monday, Oct. 12.
According to police, Lord Pardo, 26, killed 17-month-old Mason Robinson, of New Cassel, while he was babysitting him on Monday afternoon.
Authorities stated Robinson’s mother, Marie Eristhene, kept in contact with Pardo during the day and at 1:40 p.m., he told her via text that the baby was having difficulty breathing. Robinson asked Pardo to bring the child to her job at Whole Foods in Jericho. When they arrived, 911 was called. At 2:57 p.m., the baby was transported to North Shore-LIJ Hospital in Syosset where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Police arrested Pardo and he is being charged with second-degree murder.
Pardo’s lawyer, Meir Moza, said that the charges were “overreaching,” and that the incident is a tragic accident.
“He should have been charged with negligent criminal supervision or endangering the welfare of a child,” Moza said. “Given the fact that he’s been close to the baby for the past four months, and has no motive or prior incidents or abuse…it seems nonrealistic [he] would harm the baby. This is someone he cared about and loved.”
Pardo emigrated from Haiti in 2009 and has no prior arrests. Police said Pardo and Eristhene had been dating for several months and that he had watched the baby six to eight times during that period. There is no history of domestic violence between the two, or Child Protective Service involvement. Also at Pardo’s home in Uniondale that afternoon was his 3-week-old daughter from another relationship.
According to Moza, Pardo said the injuries happened when the baby fell off the bed. Robinson suffered “extensive” injuries including broken ribs and severe internal bleeding, injuries that Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter say are not consistent with an accident.
“The charges are consistent with the injuries the baby suffered, [which] are inconsistent with an accident,” Krumpter said. “He is being charged with intentionally killing the baby.”
He was arraigned in first district court on Oct. 13 with bail set at $10 million.
