Staff Reports
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS —
Just days after Niagara County Court Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza denied a request for the release or a decrease in bail for Nicole Colucci, both she and her husband, Randy Colucci Sr., were bailed out of Niagara County Jail on Monday.
The couple is charged in the death of their 22-month-old daughter, Carmen.
Nicole, 24, currently expecting her seventh child and is believed to be in her third trimester of pregnancy.
Staff at Niagara County Jail confirmed Monday afternoon the couple were bailed out. They had been jailed in lieu of bail of $75,000 or $150,000 property while they face charges of second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the death of their 22-month-old daughter.
Efforts to contact the Colucci’s were unsuccesful Monday.
In discussions regarding early release, prosecutors said Nicole was not receiving any prenatal care prior to her arrest. Since being taken into custody, Sheriff Jim Voutour said Nicole refused to take medication and prenatal vitamins even though they were provided to her every day.
“The jail has gone above and beyond to care for her. She has refused to care for herself,” Assistant District Attorney Holly Sloma has said.
Carmen died on April 8 at Womens and Childrens Hospital in Buffalo. She had been taken there after Falls Police detectives said officers responded to the Colucci’s home on March 31 after receiving a call of “a 2-year-old not breathing.”
“Through our investigation, we were able to determine that Carmen was put in a (portable playpen) with her 12-month-old brother, with a twin mattress on top of the playpen and a TV on top of the mattress to keep the children from getting out,” Detective Capt. William Thomson said. “They weren’t checked on for 17 hours and Carmen got her head stuck between the (playpen) and the mattress.”
Investigators said it was the second time one of the Colucci’s children died.
In 2007, three-month-old Sebastain was found dead at home. The cause of death in that case was listed as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
In addition to their now 15-month-old son, the Colucci’s have three other children ages, 4, 6 and 9.
All the surviving children are now being cared for Niagara County Child Protective Services.
