Bridgeport man charged and in court after toddler's death at Milford motel – NBC Connecticut

The man suspected of injuring a toddler who was found dead in a motel room bathtub on Wednesday was arraigned in Milford court on Thursday.

Dale Kirkland, 31, of Bridgeport appeared for his arraignment in Milford Superior Court via Zoom call.

Kirkland's bail was set at $1 million and he is charged with endangering minors and cruelty to animals.

The bailiff's commission said Kirkland has lived in Connecticut for nine months, works for FedEx and has no criminal history.

Alanna Paul, assistant district attorney, requested that Kirkland's bail be posted only in court.

“He did not report the death to the authorities at the time of the incident, so I am asking that bail remain in place,” Paul said.

During arraignment, Kirkland's public defender requested that his bail be reduced to $100,000, but the judge denied the request due to the nature of the charges.

A man who stayed at the Mayflower Motel said he was glad to hear Kirkland was arrested, but wished more could have been done for the toddler.

“I'm a father, so this is very upsetting to me. I don't want something like this to happen to a child,” said Eric Klobedanz.

On Wednesday, Milford police reported they received a call at 11 a.m. from the Mayflower Motel that a cleaning employee found an unconscious toddler in the bathtub of the room where Kirkland had been staying.

According to police, Kirkland checked into the Mayflower Motel with a baby on Tuesday night and checked out Wednesday morning without the baby.

Kirkland will likely face additional charges. His next court date is scheduled for August 28 in Milford Superior Court.