PREGNANT WOMAN CHARGED IN MURDER HELD IN DEATH OF FOSTER DAUGHTER, 2

The Record

A pregnant 24-year-old Phillipsburg woman has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly beating her 2-year-old foster daughter to death earlier this week, prosecutors said Thursday.

Colleen Chavez of 218 Filmore St., who is three months pregnant, was originally charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

The murder charge was added Wednesday night after Gladys Campbell was pronounced dead at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, according to a release from Warren County Prosecutor Richard C. Hare.

The badly beaten child had been on a life support system since she was brought to Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg on Tuesday, authorities said.  Phillipsburg police were called to the Chavez home by Mrs. Chavez shortly after noon Tuesday, Hare said.

Police found Gladys unconscious with injuries to her face and right side of the head, bruises on her back, and an apparently fractured skull, the prosecutor's office said.  The child was transported by helicopter to Children's Hospital, where she died at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.

An autopsy was conducted on the child Thursday by the Philadelphia medical examiner.  Results of the autopsy were not available immediately.

Mrs. Chavez was being held without bail at Warren County Correctional Facility in Belvidere, pending a court hearing, the prosecutor said.

Her husband, Artemio Chavez, 29, was at work at the time of the incident and has not been charged in the child's death, Hare said.  Chavez works as a signal repairman for the state Department of Transportation in Bedminster.

The couple became foster parents of Gladys in February and she was placed through the Children's Home of Easton, which houses and places foster children in the Easton, Pa., area.

Michael Danjczek, executive director of the home, said he knew of no previous problems with the family.  He said the home interviews all prospective foster parents and performs background checks.

Workers from the home check in on foster families once every two weeks, he said.  The Chavezes have a child of their own, a 3-year-old daughter, whose name was not available from the prosecutor's office.

Neighbors of the family in Phillipsburg expressed surprise at the charges against Mrs. Chavez and described her as a friendly woman who is fond of children.

Beryl Blake, who lives next door to the Chavez family, said Mrs. Chavez occasionally has come over to her house to play with her baby granddaughter.

"She loved babies," Blake said.  "She was a nice woman, nice and friendly. "Phillipsburg police said Mrs. Chavez has no previous criminal record.