Oceanside Woman Faces 15 Years in Prison for Shaking Her Baby to Death

April 14, 2010

Oceanside Woman Faces 15 Years in Prison for Shaking Her Baby to Death

Parents originally told police that their 2-year-old fell out of his highchair

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that an Oceanside woman was arraigned today on charges that she shook her baby to death on July 20 2009. The woman, Lois Saitta, 50, was indicted by a grand jury on April 8.

Saitta has been charged with Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Reckless Assault of a Child, and Criminally Negligent Homicide. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Rice said that on July 20, 2009, police officers and emergency personnel responded to a 911 call to Saitta’s Soper Avenue home. The 911 call stated that Saitta’s 2-year-old son, Christopher, had fallen out of his high chair and struck his head on the tile floor. Emergency responders found the child lethargic and unresponsive.

The child suffered severe brain swelling and required surgery to remove a piece of his skull to relieve pressure. Doctors determined the child’s symptoms to be indicative of having been violently shaken. The child died less than three weeks later.

“An innocent life has been violently taken, and I will do everything in my power to see that justice is served in this case,” Rice said. “Children are among our most vulnerable victims, and I will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to harm them.”

Assistant District Attorney Silvia Finkelstein of the Special Victims Bureau is handling the case for the District Attorney's Office. Saitta is represented by Kevin Keating, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.