MEDIA, Pa. – A suburban Philadelphia woman has been convicted of third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of a toddler in her care.
The Delaware County Daily Times says Delaware County jurors deliberated for about 5 1/2 hours before convicting 24-year-old Heather Hess on Friday on those counts as well as endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault.
Hess testified that she was playing "airplane" with 2 1/2-year-old David Miller Jr. in December 2011 but the toddler hit a wall. She said she told police and paramedics that he had choked on a water bottle cap because she didn't want to get into trouble.
Prosecutors, however, said the child was shaken violently and his injuries couldn't have been caused by hitting a wall.
Sentencing is scheduled for March.
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