Brooklyn Center Baby Sitter Gets 21 Years For Death Of Infant
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 38-year-old Brooklyn Center woman has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison after a baby in her care died of a "catastrophic head injury."
Jennifer Baldwin was found guilty in June on two counts of unintentional second-degree murder. She was sentenced Monday.
According to a criminal complaint, Baldwin called 911 on March 15, 2018. Police and paramedics found 9-month-old Colton Senogles struggling to breathe. She told authorities the baby's mother dropped him off about an hour before the call. The baby died five days later.
Though Baldwin initially told authorities she had no idea what happened to the baby, she admitted she handled him "aggressively" when confronted with the autopsy results. The infant died of a blunt force head injury, which resulted in brain damage.
The sentence is higher than recommended by state guidelines. Hennepin County District Court Judge Jamie Anderson says the upward departure was possible because the jury found aggravating circumstances in Colton's death. His age made him vulnerable because he could not flee, call for help or protect himself.
Baldwin is a mother to four children.
"It's no question it is tragic for your children to grow up without their mother," Judge Anderson said. "But you were found guilty of two counts of murder and that changes everything."