Charges amended to homicide against mother accused of abusing baby
Attempted homicide charges against a Coal Center woman were amended to criminal homicide during her preliminary hearing Friday.
Symantha Sullivan, 25, is accused of abusing her infant son to the extent that he became unconscious and was placed on life support at UPMC Children’s Hospital for more than a month before he died Monday.
Isaiah Sullivan was 5 months old when he died from the injuries he suffered in mid-September, when police were initially alerted to the abuse, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office.
During Friday’s preliminary hearing before District Judge James Saieva, Trooper Melinda Churney testified that on Sept. 22, she received an email from Sullivan stating that Sullivan wanted to speak with her regarding Isaiah, who was on life support. Churney also said Sullivan called the barracks multiple times that day.
Churney read the email, which included Sullivan’s alleged statement, “I believe I’m the cause of all this.”
Sullivan allegedly admitted to dropping Isaiah on his head in the bathtub a few days prior to police responding Sept. 11 to America’s Best Value Inn and Suites in Canton Township, where Sullivan had been staying with her boyfriend and her children.
On Sept. 10, Sullivan allegedly punched the Isaiah in the back of his head out of frustration that he wouldn’t fall asleep. The following day, she kept him in his car seat all day, only fed him one bottle and didn’t change his diaper from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to court documents.
Police were called to the hotel that afternoon for a report of a baby not breathing. Isaiah, who was born May 15, was found unresponsive and flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital, where he later died.
According to the criminal complaint, he suffered a brain injury, skull fracture, spinal damage, an eye injury and many other fractures.
Dr. Adelaide Eichman, a Child Advocacy Physician at Children’s, testified Friday that some of Isaiah’s fractures were old and some were new. When asked what type of force would be necessary to cause such “life-threatening” injuries, Eichman said they would have required “severe violence” and “more force than any caregiver would use.”
The prosecution also added two additional charges of aggravated assault. Churney testified that Sullivan admitted to shaking the baby previously in August and to hitting his car seat, with him in it, against the car door Sept. 11.
Sullivan remains in jail on $2 million bond for charges that now include criminal homicide, four counts of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment. Saieva held all the charges for the court.