Autopsy shows infant ‘harmed’ by baby sitter

An autopsy conducted on baby Nina Ricci Mendoza showed that she died from multiple blood trauma on the head which may prove that she was seriously harmed by her baby sitter Reynaldo A. Manila.

Mr. Manila was charged with second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child abuse, aggravated assault and battery and assault and battery in connection with the death of six-month-old Nina Ricci at 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2000.

Superior Court Presiding Judge Edward Manibusan has set a $50,000 cash bail for the temporary release of Mr. Manila.

Investigation conducted by the police showed that Nina Ricci was brought to the residence of Mr. Manila by the baby’s parents, Jonathan Mendoza and Lory Dizon, on Oct. 27, 2000.

On the first interview conducted by Police Detective Mark Taisacan, Mr. Manila said he left the baby sleeping on the bed to go to the toilet at around 9:30 p.m. But he rushed back when he heard the baby crying and saw Nina’s head on the edge of the bed about to fall.

When Mr. Manila picked up the baby, he saw bruises on her forehead which he said was caused when she accidentally bumped her head to the metal part of the bed.

However, a second interview on Mr. Manila revealed that he went out of the toilet after he heard the baby crying. He then held her up and started shaking Nina Ricci in an effort to wake her up. The baby only responded after he applied a mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Mr. Manila said he called up the parents of the baby at work but failed to contact them. When his live-in partner came home from work, Mr. Manila said he told the story that the baby almost fell on the floor.

On the evening of Oct. 28, 2000, the baby was brought to the Commonwealth Health Center where a CT scan conducted revealed that there was bruising and bleeding in the brain. Within hours, the baby suffered uncontrollable seizures and she was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit.

According to Detective Taisacan, Nina Ricci was unresponsive when rushed to the hospital, thus she was immediately attached to a ventilator.

Doctors who examined Nina Ricci concluded that the baby was vigorously shaken, causing the brain to hit the skull’s interior. “The dark red bruises on the baby’s head could only be caused by a blunt force used on the head,” Detective Taisacan said quoting the doctors who examined the baby.

Assistant Attorney General Ramona Manglona said the baby was harmed violently while under the care of Mr. Manila as shown by the brain injury and hemorrhage on the eyes which are all the symptoms of a shaken baby syndrome.

Many parents may not be aware that shaking a baby even during innocent horseplay can be dangerous as doctors call this form of child abuse as a shaken baby syndrome.

A frustrated parent or caregiver becomes angry at a crying infant and shakes the child into silent submission not knowing that it can rattle the child into unconsciousness or cause enough brain damage to kill the baby within seconds. (Lindablue F. Romero)