COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A nurse at University of Illinois-Chicago Hospital is accused of hitting an 8-month-old baby, breaking the boy's arm.
The baby was recovering from surgery on May 14 when night nurse Crispiniana Domingo, 51, accidentally dropped the bar to the baby's crib — causing a loud crash that made the boy cry, Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said during a bond hearing Thursday.
A witness who thought the boy was in pain went to check on him and saw Domingo slap the baby in the back of his his head three times, prosecutors said.
Domingo would later admit to "patting" the boy on his head to calm him down since he was crying, according to an arrest report.
The following day, the boy's mother noticed he wasn't using his left arm or reaching for things the way he normally would, Scaduto said. Doctors performed an X-ray and learned that the boy's upper left arm was broken.
According to Scaduto, the spiral fracture could only be caused by "a nonaccidental twisting motion of the arm."
An MRI showed two subdural hematomas in the boy's head, Scaduto said. The injuries, which are consistent with being hit on the head, weren't there in an MRI taken three months prior, she noted.
Domingo was arrested this week and charged with aggravated battery to a child.
Hospital spokeswoman Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez said Domingo began working for UIC in July 2000. Domingo has been on paid administrative leave since May 19 and has not had contact with the 8-month-old boy.
The boy is still being treated at UIC for his underlying medical condition, Gonzalez said.
In a statement Thursday, University of Illinois Hospital CEO Avijit Ghosh said: “We contacted UIC Police to conduct a thorough investigation when it was discovered that a pediatric patient may have been injured due to alleged physical maltreatment by a nurse. The hospital has fully cooperated with all authorities involved in the investigation. We are committed to the highest level of patient care and we are deeply saddened that a child in our care may have been mistreated by a caregiver.”
Domingo, of suburban Bolingbrook, has no prior criminal history. Prosecutors said Domingo has cared for the 8-month-old boy since he was born, roughly three months premature late last year.
According to her public defender, Domingo is married with three children, the youngest of whom is 16.
Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan on Thursday ordered Domingo held in lieu of $300,000 bail.
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