COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A South Side woman fatally punched an infant who'd been crying for 15 minutes, prosecutors said Friday.
Timothy Harmon, who was 44 days old on Dec. 7, suffered broken ribs, a subdural hemorrhage in his brain, and hemorrhaging in his liver, right kidney and colon, Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Santini said during a bond hearing Friday.
Timothy's grandfather's wife, 56-year-old Willa Wickerson, is charged with first-degree murder.
Wickerson was watching the boy while his parents were at work Dec. 7, prosecutors said. Timothy was in good health that morning.
Wickerson "became irate" and punched Timothy after he cried for about 15 minutes straight, according to Santini. Wickerson then threw the infant into a car seat, prosecutors said.
Shortly after 2 p.m., Wickerson called the boy's mother to inform her Timothy wasn't breathing, Santini said. Wickerson never called 911, prosecutors noted, but the mother immediately called authorities and drove home to the 6600 block of South Racine Avenue.
Paramedics rushed Timothy to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Wickerson, of the 6700 block of South Parnell Avenue, admitted to police that she became upset when the baby cried Dec. 7, Santini said. Wickerson told officers she punched the boy and tossed him into a car seat.
Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil on Friday ordered Wickerson, who has no prior criminal history, held in lieu of $1 million bail.
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