A child caregiver from the Bronx was charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the death of a 20-month-old boy under her care. Police revealed that the woman admitted to having "wrestled" with the victim before the infant succumbed to the injuries he incurred from the incident. The New York City medical examiner's office ruled the death of the boy as homicide late Saturday. This ruling was substantiated by the blunt force trauma detected in the victim's head and torso. The suspect was then arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court and remanded into custody on Sunday.    

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Athena Skeeter, 40, a state-licensed day care provider since 2005, detailed to the investigators the events leading to the demise of the baby, Cardell Williamson, on Friday. She said that prior to the boy's death, she had been engaged in a "wrestling" match with him and her own son inside her home day care center located on College Ave. in Claremont, Bronx. Skeeter told police that she flipped the child on to her bed. She then threw Cardell to the floor holding only to one arm and one leg of the child. Based on her own description, the floor was hardwood. Subsequently, she stepped on the baby's stomach three times, but clarified that she did not apply full force. After doing so, she threw her son on top of the victim. She also stepped on his stomach three times.  

The complaint showed that Skeeter described Cardell to have "acted different" after the "wrestling" match. She said the child began to throw up and observed that his head kept tilting. Cardell was also unable to walk on his own. In an attempt to revive him, Skeeter said she placed the boy in the bathtub and splashed cold water on his face. Despite her efforts, however, Cardell remained unresponsive.

Police was said to have received Skeeter's 911 call at roughly 2 p.m. on Friday. They found the toddler lying in bed and appeared to have difficulty breathing. The officers performed CPR and rushed the child to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. The boy already died by the time they arrived.

No violations were found in the recent inspection of Skeeter's home day care center, which was conducted on April 18, 2013. At present, the suspect, who also goes by the name Athena Cross, is held in custody without bail. She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

Tagsbronx, Athena Skeeter, Athena Cross, Bronx Criminal Court, Cardell Williamson, day care, Wrestling