We’re hoping against hope this little boy is found safe.
Aaden Moreno is missing.
The little brown-eyed boy is only seven months old, and he was last seen with his suicidal father — amid a reported custody battle with Aaden’s mum.
Search crews have been looking for the little boy since Sunday night, when his 22-year-old father Tony Moreno made a phone call threatening suicide, in which Aaden could be heard crying.
Just minutes after that call, the father attempted to take his own life.
Related: The truth about what it’s like to be left behind by suicide.
Police arrived at the scene to see the father attempting suicide, but were able to save him before he lost his life. Little Aaden Moreno, however, was nowhere in sight.
For days now, officials have been scouring the Connecticut River in Middletown, Connecticut using kayaks, larger boats, jet skis and a wakeboard.
State and federal agencies have also continued the search using helicopters, according to local newspaper the Hartford Courant.
Three different fire departments and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection have all been involved in the investigation, with at least three different dive teams also searching underwater.
The Hartford Courant reports that crews paused their search on Monday night and returned to the river early Tuesday to continue their sweep of the area.
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Sadly, authorities said on Monday afternoon that the focus on the search for tiny Aaden had shifted to recovery rather than rescue — an indication that police believe the little boy has not survived.
“This is a horrible tragedy,” Middletown mayor Daniel Drew said in a statement.
“For Aaden to have had his whole life and whole future stolen from him is a tragedy that is almost impossible to put into words. I hope everybody keeps this little boy in their hearts and minds and prayers.”
Tragically, Aaden’s mother reportedly asked authorities weeks ago for a restraining order against Mr Moreno because she feared for the safety of herself and her son, according to court records.
The Hartford Courant reports the mother, Adrianne Oyola, applied for a restraining order against Moreno on June 17 because of her safety concerns.
“He has told me he could make my son disappear any time of the day,” Ms Ooyala alleged, according to court records. “He told me how he could make me disappear told me how he could kill me. I sometimes am scared to sleep. He told me he would put me in the ground and put something on me to make me disintegrate faster…
“I feel that he is a danger to my child and me and would like to leave with my child and get full custody.”
Related: How to get a domestic violence intervention order.
Aaden Moreno is described as 28 inches (71cm) tall and weighing about 23lbs (10.4kgs). He was last seen wearing black pants and a white shirt with black stripes and a Mickey Mouse picture.
Authorities say Tony Moreno — who is now in stable condition but reportedly cannot speak — has not been charged.
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