A babysitter was convicted for the beating death of a 4-month-old left in her care last year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
The District Attorney’s statement obtained by KTLA said a jury found Brittany Ann Ingrassi, 21, guilty of second-degree murder, assault on a child becoming comatose, child abuse, and assault on a child causing death. The jury also determined the sitter inflicted great bodily injury on Aiden Lopez.
Deputy District Attorney Keri Knittel said the baby was left in Ingrassi’s care on the morning of March 22, 2016. Knittel claimed the defendant met the boy’s mother outside the home that night and informed her that Lopez wasn’t breathing. The 4-month-old was transported to a hospital where doctors determined he sustained skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The infant died four days later.
The Palmdale woman was a close friend of the victim’s father and watched the infant for about eight weeks. Ingrassi was charged with murder in April.
Prosecutors said that evidence presented at the trial uncovered Ingrassi was upset about being a babysitter and that she was under the influence of alcohol when she carried out the deadly attack.
Ingrassi’s attorney, Nancy Mazza, claimed Lopez’s injuries were caused by a French bulldog owned by the infant’s family, according to KABC. The attorney said the dog mauled the baby while his client went to the bathroom.
“There was a sudden random dog attack, where this dog viciously pounced on the baby, on Aiden from the couch, landed on the baby, which can cause blunt force trauma and then started moving the baby violently around, holding on to it,” Mazza said in court. “Brittany Ingrassi, in fact, has dog bites. She has a dog bite on her hand.”
The District Attorney dismissed the defense’s claims, stating that photos of the baby’s injuries are not “consistent with their theory.”
The 21-year-old faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 2.
[Featured Image: KABC/Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department]