Former Amherst man gets 5 to 7 years in prison for death of infant son

A former Amherst resident will spend 5 to 7 years in state prison after pleading guilty Wednesday in connection to the 2019 death of his infant son, officials said.

Isaac Villalobos, 35, pleaded guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to a felony charge of assault and battery on a child causing substantial injury, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.

Villalobos, also known as Angel M. Carattini-Rivera, was arraigned in July following a three-year investigation into the death of his 4-month-old son, who died after being given adult sleep medicine with an infant syringe, the DA’s office said in a press release.

“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of the baby’s death to be acute doxylamine intoxication,” the release noted.

The state dropped additional charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment of a child, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14 as part of a plea agreement, according to the DA’s office. 

Assistant District Attorney Andrew C. Covington called the case a “horrific tragedy.”

“In this case, the Commonwealth wanted to provide a measure of closure for the victim’s family while also holding the defendant accountable for his actions,” he said in a statement. “We feel the best interests of justice were served with this plea and sentencing today.”