LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A babysitter has been arrested for child abuse after a 5-month-old baby suffered a severe brain injury.
Maria Antonio-Jose, 24, has been charged with Cruelty Toward Child/Aggravated Child Abuse.
According to a Lee County Sheriff's Office report, on May 15, Antonio-Jose agreed to watch a friend's 5-month-old son while the mother was at work.
Around noon that day, the mother got a call from Antonio-Jose saying the baby was not breathing and had choked while drinking milk.
The child was rushed to North Collier Hospital, and then to Golisano Children's Hospital, where doctors determined the child suffered trauma injuries inconsistent with the babysitter's description of what happened.
They said the boy suffered a catastrophic brain injury and other injuries consistent with severe child abuse. He was in a persistent vegetative state and was not expected to recover. On June 8 he was transferred to hospice care.
Investigators spoke with Antonio-Jose on June 9 and arrested her. She was booked into the Lee County Jail and is being held on $200,000 bond.
