Torrington man sentenced to 10 years for toddler death

A Torrington man was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for the death of a toddler.
Alex Ciccarelli-Rosa pleaded guilty to manslaughter and risk of injury to a child.
As News 12 reported, police say Ciccarelli-Rosa was babysitting 15-month-old Evan Standish in June last year when the child drank from his rum and coke and he placed the child in bath unattended.
Police say Ciccarelli-Rosa left the boy in a bath and when he returned the toddler was face down in 8 inches of water. The child also had unexplained head injuries and needle marks on his arms.
Ciccarelli-Rosa was dating Evan's mother, Nicole Menard, at the time of the child’s death.
Police suspect Ciccarelli-Rosa, who is a trained paramedic, tried to give the child CPR and an IV, but never called 911.
Ciccarelli-Rosa reportedly entered a plea deal under the Alford Doctrine, meaning he did not admit guilt but conceded the state had enough evidence to convict him.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say," Ciccarelli-Rosa said in court Friday.
He was sentenced to 18 years suspended after eight years for a total of 10 years in prison, followed by five years of probation.
Menard says she does not believe Ciccarelli-Rosa intended to kill her son, but does not forgive him. Menard also does not think manslaughter is the proper charge but says she agreed to the deal because she didn't want to take Ciccareli-Rosa away from his parents, like he took her son away from her.
"I’m hurting," says Menard. "And there’s a place in my heart that’s missing that’s never going to be replaced, ever."