Man who confessed to killing infant son then recanted, decides to take a plea

Just as a jury panel was about to be selected, a father who confessed to killing his infant son in 2016 decided to take a plea Tuesday in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The capital murder trial of Arjunkumar Dipak Rana was to start Tuesday, but a jury selected late Monday in 175th state District Court ended up being dismissed that night.

On Tuesday morning, lawyers were to start selecting another panel when Rana, 22, chose instead to enter a plea of no contest for a lesser offense of murder in exchange for a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Rana was 19 years old when he was arrested and charged with killing 2-month-old Alexander Rana on March 24, 2016.

Police went to the home on a call for an unresponsive baby. The child was taken to Methodist Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

About a week later, police responded to a disturbance at the home the boy shared with his parents in the 3200 block of Northwest Loop 410. Rana allegedly confessed to killing his son while he was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher.

Once officers were on the scene, Rana allegedly confessed again to killing his son. He was arrested a few weeks later after the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said the infant died from asphyxia by neck compression and ruled the boy’s death a homicide.

An arrest warrant affidavit stated Rana told San Antonio police investigators that he took the infant into a bathroom at their home, placed his thumbs over the child’s neck and tilted his head forward to cut off his breathing.

The document went on to describe how Rana said the boy struggled slightly before he became still, then Rana listened to his chest to make sure the boy wasn’t breathing.

According to the affidavit, Rana told police he was angry because he had to go to work the morning of March 24 and his wife would not get up to soothe the baby. He said he was confessing because he felt extremely guilty for causing the child’s death, the document said.

Rana said he had just gotten laid off from his job and that he and his wife were going through financial problems.

During an interview with the Express-News at the Bexar County jail, Rana attempted to retract his confession. He said he lied because he “just wanted to die” after his son’s death since he felt he no longer had a reason to live and wanted the death penalty.

Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl is expected to sentence Rana on Nov. 19.
