COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — While caring for a crying 9-month-old baby, Patricia McKinney allegedly shook and struck the boy and slammed him down on a changing table causing him to hit his head on its metal frame, prosecutors said Friday.
McKinney, 30, who was Aiden Dukes' guardian, allegedly became enraged at her home in the 7100 block of South Bennett Avenue on Sept. 28 when the baby would not stop crying.
She held the baby in the air while shaking and squeezing him until his cries stopped, prosecutors said. When the child again started to cry, McKinney slammed him down on the bed and struck him multiple times in the abdominal area.
Later, when the baby cried again, McKinney slammed him onto a changing table, causing the child the hit his had on its metal frame, prosecutors said.
The child appeared to stop breathing and McKinney called 911, prosecutors said. McKinney allegedly admitted to the abuse after medical staff at Comer Children's Hospital, found a laceration tohis liver, fractured ribs, a broken elbow, a chipped shoulder, skull fractures and hemorrhaging. He was in cardiac arrest.
McKinley was initially charged with aggravated battery to a child. After Aiden died on Oct. 1, the charges were upgraded to murder.
She was ordered held at Cook County Jail on $2 million.
