Father of missing Ansonia girl in court on weapons charges
NEW HAVEN – The father of a missing 1-year-old Ansonia girl appeared briefly in Superior Court in New Haven Wednesday, but little was said about his weapons case, his missing daughter or the investigation into the killing of the baby’s mother.
Ansonia police have labeled Jose Morales, 43, a suspect in the disappearance of his daughter, Vanessa Morales, and the death of Christine Marie Holloway, 43, who was found bludgeoned to death in her Myrtle Avenue home on the evening of Dec. 2. Vanessa Morales was supposed to be with her mother but wasn’t found when police entered her home.
New Haven police arrested Jose Morales Dec. 3 after Ansonia police, who were serving a search warrant at Morales’ home at 105 First Ave., found two stun guns. Since Morales had been previously convicted of a felony in 2012 he is prohibited from possessing stun guns. New Haven police charged him with two
counts of illegal possession of a firearm and held him on a $250,000 bond.
The search of Morales’ home was related to the homicide investigation, police said. Police have also searched the Myrtle Avenue home several times, as well as clothing drop-off bins and boxes from the Community Crusade for Children Inc. clearinghouse on State Street in Hamden,
Police have said Vanessa Morales was last seen Nov. 29. The 17-pound toddler with brown hair and brown eyes is the subject of an Amber Alert and local and federal authorities are continuing to seek information about her whereabouts.
Ansonia police Lt. Patrick Lynch has said Morales initially cooperated with authorities and that “both sides of the family” have helped investigators in their search for the missing toddler.
Investigators from several police departments and the FBI have followed leads in Ansonia, Derby and Hamden over the past two weeks but have released few details.
Police have indicated they are conducting their search on the premise that Vanessa is alive. Lynch has asked whoever she is with, and under “whatever circumstances,” to return her without fear of facing charges.
“We are not looking to arrest or start criminal proceedings against whoever has Vanessa; we just want her returned to her family,” police said Tuesday.
Courant staff writer Zach Murdock contributed to this story.