Ohio Woman Gets Prison for Injuring Infant

(Toledo, Ohio) Last month, a 21-year-old woman, Crystal Barnett, pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment for pushing an eight-month-old baby, Olivia Thomas, into a dresser and fracturing her skull.

Emergency crews responded to Barnett's home April 13 on a report of an unconscious person and took the child to Toledo Hospital, where the fractured skull and bleeding were discovered.

Authorities said Barnett, who was baby-sitting the child, initially told police her 2-year-old son pushed the baby off a bed. She changed her story to say she accidentally dropped the child in the kitchen while reaching into the refrigerator, then changed it again to admit pushing the child off her lap into a dresser, assistant prosecutors said.

According to the infant's mother, Amber Thomas, the girl still suffers from her injuries.

Yesterday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, Barnett was sentenced to four years in prison by Judge Frederick McDonald who called Barnett's act "a senseless injury."