A nanny arrested for hitting, slapping, shaking and stomping a five-month-old child has been held on $200,000 bail after the judge denied a prosecution plea that the bail for Manjula Patel be raised to $500,000.
However New Jersey Superior Court Judge William Meehan in Hackensack said that Patel, 51, who came to the US only four months ago, could be released only on his approval.
Patel, whose husband and three children still live in a hotel room in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, was arrested October 12 and was charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment.
'The investigation was initiated by the parents of the child who placed a video camera in their home as a precautionary measure to view the interaction between the infant and the nanny,' said John Molinelli, the Bergen County prosecutor.
When the parents who live in Upper Saddle returned home October 11, they found the child appeared lethargic. 'They watched the video tape and found that the camera caught Manjula Patel attacking the child. The parents immediately called for an ambulance and the infant was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center,' according to the prosecution.
A preliminary medical examination found a broken collarbone, two fractured wrists, a broken rib and numerous bruises on the child, the prosecution said.
Aggravated assault and child endangerment, both second-degree offenses, carry up to 10 years in prison.
'It was a horrifying video. We have detectives who deal with child-abuse cases on a daily basis, and it was too traumatic for them to watch, Michael Mordaga, chief of detectives at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, told the local media. 'The real tragedy here is that this is a baby that can't talk, can't explain what happened. Thank God for the videotape,' he said.
The child is out of danger now, according to officials.
Patel began babysitting for the child six weeks before the incident. The family selected her after seeing her baby-sitting ad in an Indian newspaper.
She lived with the couple on weekdays and stayed at the hotel with family in Rochelle Park on weekends.
Ranjan Patel, Patel's sister, told the local media that she was surprised to see her sister arrested. 'As far as I know, she is a good person,' she said. Patel's husband works as a housekeeper.
The prosecution asked to increase the bail amount saying that Patel expressed urgent plans to return to India once she secured bail during an interview with a state Division of Youth and Family Services worker.
Patel's attorney Carlo Abad said he was not aware that his client had been interviewed by anyone. When contacted, Abad declined to discuss the case.
The incident followed a discussion in mainstream papers about 'nanny cameras' and the need for background checks. Many suggested that parents should not absolve their duty by simply placing a camera to protect their child. Placement agencies said parents should only choose nannies from authorised agencies with proven records.