Local News in Brief : Baby-Sitter Denies She Killed 1, Hurt 2 Infants
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A 27-year-old Canyon Country woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that she shook a 6-month-old baby to death and injured two other children in her care.
Vickie Maas entered her plea in San Fernando Municipal Court on one count of murder in the death of David Allen Duncan and three counts of felony child endangerment.
For a fee, Maas cared for children on weekdays in her home. An autopsy showed that Duncan, one of these children, died last Friday from brain swelling caused by severe shaking, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Pamela Davis-Springer.
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigation into Duncan’s death found that two other children had been injured while Maas was watching them, Davis-Springer said.
A 6-month-old boy in Maas’ care suffered a broken leg in May, Davis-Springer said. A third baby boy suffered head injuries in August, she said.
Maas has a 2-year-old daughter who has been taken into protective custody, Davis-Springer said. The child bears no signs of abuse, she said.
Municipal Judge Charles L. Peven released Maas on her own recognizance and ordered her to appear Jan. 26, when a date for a preliminary hearing will be set.
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