More than a year after 2-month-old Sophia Dawn Capo was found unresponsive in a Lopatcong Township home, authorities have arrested her father and charged him in her death, officials said. The case, which began as a medical emergency on a quiet residential block, is now being treated as a homicide.
Warren County Prosecutor Jessica Cardone said James A. Capo Jr., 39, of Phillipsburg, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to NJ 101.5. Prosecutors said the charges cap a 14-month investigation, and that a preliminary autopsy found Sophia died from blunt force injury to the head; Capo is being held at the Warren County Jail pending his first court appearance and could face up to life in prison if convicted.
On April 17, 2025, Lopatcong Township police were called to the 700 block of Youngs Road, where they found Sophia unresponsive, as reported by Daily Voice. Officers performed CPR, and the infant was airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she died a week later; authorities were told she had fallen from a baby rocker before emergency responders arrived.
Next steps in court
Prosecutors say the investigation is still active and that formal court proceedings are expected to be scheduled in Warren County Superior Court, according to NJ 101.5. For now, Capo remains in custody as the case moves from a lengthy investigative phase into the courtroom.
The prosecutor’s office has released only limited information, and the family has declined to comment while investigators continue to gather evidence and prepare for the next round of legal proceedings.
