Infant Remains Hospitalized; Cops Say Mom Admitted Shaking Baby

A 5-month-old Morristown infant remains hospitalized, and her mother has admitted to police she had shaken the baby because the child would not stop crying, authorities said.

Morristown resident Heather Ann ElSaadany, 24, also known according to a court affidavit as Heather Ann Paddock, was arrested and charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said. The charges came after medical examinations of the baby girl at Morristown Memorial Hospital revealed multiple fractures in various stages of healing, including rib and tibia fractures.

A friend of ElSaadany's told police that Elsaadany and the friend had been out shopping the night of Aug. 3, when ElSaadany received a text message indicating the infant was having trouble breathing, according to the affidavit. It does not say who might have sent that text message. ElSaadany reportedly returned home and called 911.

Capt. Jeffrey S. Paul, spokesperson for Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, said Morristown Police responded at 8:30 p.m.

"As a result of injuries which were identified, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes and Child Endangerment Unit was contacted along with members of the Morristown Police Departments Detective Bureau," Paul said in a written statement. 

In an interview with police Wednesday, ElSaadany first said she couldn't think of any recent incident that might have injured the baby, according to the affidavit. She then said her 2-year-old son might have jumped on the infant, and said she had recently fallen off a chair and hit the infant with her elbow, according to the affidavit.

ElSaadany then told police the baby has colic, which made her cry through the night, according to the affidavit. ElSaadany reportedly admitted she had shaken the baby when she continued to cry and said, "Why won't you stop crying?"

Bail has been set at $100,000 cash, with no contact allowed with the victim, Paul said.