A licensed child care worker from the Concourse area of Bronx was remanded without bail after pleading not guilty to manslaughter and child endangerment charges, following the Friday death of a toddler in her care, said law enforcement officials.
Athena Skeeter, 40, of 1374 College Ave. was arrested Saturday night after the Medical Examiner ruled that the death of 20-month-old Cardell Joseph Williamson was a homicide resulting from blunt force trauma to his head and torso.
Cops responded to a call for help at Skeeter’s address on Friday and found Williamson on a bed laboring to breathe, with scalds to the right side of his body. They performed CPR and took the child to Bronx Lebanon Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Skeeter allegedly told investigators she “stepped on his stomach three times,” without using “full force.” According to the account of her statement in court papers, “I then threw my son on top of Cardell and stopped on his stomach three times. Cardell acted different after that.”
Skeeter had no prior record of arrests in NYC, according to the NYPD. Her case will go to a Grand Jury and she will next appear in court on Thursday, according to the Bronx District Attorney.
Attorney information for Skeeter was not available.
