Baby sitter jailed on charges she shook and hit 10-month-old Pa. child

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania baby sitter has been jailed on charges she shook and punched a 10-month-old she was watching last spring, leaving the girl unconscious.

Jessica Nichols, 22, of Greensburg, was arraigned Monday on charges including aggravated assault and child endangerment stemming from the incident May 5.

That’s when Nichols allegedly shook and punched little Scylla Connor after her mother, April Dittmar, asked Nichols to watch the child.

The girl’s mother says Nichols claimed the baby’s brother pushed the girl, causing her to fall and hit her head. But doctors at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC told the mother and Pennsylvania State Police that the baby’s injuries couldn’t have happened that way.

Nichols faces a preliminary hearing Friday in Westmoreland County.