CONCORD — A babysitter was charged with murder and sex abuse after a 16-month-old child was found dead inside her Staten Island home, officials said.
Gloria Fields, 31, of Concord, was charged Wednesday with murder, assault, aggravated sex abuse and acting in a manner injurious to a child younger than 17 for the death of Anthony Delgado, the NYPD said.
Anthony had "blunt force injuries" to his head and torso, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson said. Circumstances regarding the sex abuse charge were not immediately clear.
Fields and Anthony's mother both lived in the same apartment building on Steuben Street. The mother dropped the toddler off with Fields, who has watched him six times before, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said. It's unclear which day Field took charge of the child.
Sometime afterwards, Fields took Anthony to her boyfriend's apartment in Manhattan and texted the mother that he fell during the visit, according to Boyce and the New York Daily News. Anthony and Fields then returned to Staten Island.
The boy was found unconscious around 10 p.m. Sunday inside the building and Fields took him to a family member in a neighboring unit, police said.
When officers arrived on the scene, FDNY members were already there performing CPR to try to save the boy's life.
Anthony was taken to Staten Island University Hospital North, where he was pronounced dead.
Fields had been arrested nine times before on charges including prostitution and grand larceny, police said. Her most recent arrest was in August when she was charged for petit larceny, police said.
