Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced that on Wednesday, March 9, members of the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and the New York City Police Department arrested Shaqwana Baker, 21, for her involvement in a child abuse case that gravely injured her 3-year-old daughter.
According to Prosecutor Suarez, Baker was arrested at approximately 11:55 a.m. in the area of West 37th Street and 10th Avenue in New York, New York.
Prosecutor Suarez said that she and her boyfriend, Edward Smith, 29, of Far Rockaway, Ny., are both charged with Aggravated Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
According to county officials, on Sunday, January 23, the New York City Police Department was notified by NYU Langone Hospital that Baker brought her 3-year-old daughter to the facility with life-threatening injuries.
Officials said that the child was later transported to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Bellevue Hospital, where she continues to receive medical treatment.
An investigation by the NYPD and HCPO Special Victims Unit determined the 3-year-old girl was the victim of child abuse and was injured while staying at a North Bergen motel with Baker and Smith. Her injuries are expected to be permanent and life-altering.
According to Prosecutor Suarez, Smith was arrested on Thursday, February 24, at the Hudson County Correctional Facility, where he was being held pending a detention hearing on additional criminal charges.