Mom charged with dropping infant daughter on head

A woman remained in the Lake County jail Monday on accusations she dropped her infant daughter on the head while walking along a busy street Saturday, Round Lake Park police said.

Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said Debra A. Katz, 19, of the 8500 block of South Buffalo Street in Chicago, was charged with domestic battery. He said police will consult with Lake County prosecutors about the possibility of additional charges.

Katz was being held on 10 percent of a $20,000 bond at the county jail in Waukegan.

Filenko said Katz was visiting her sister in Round Lake Park when an argument began over the idea of going to a swimming pool. He said the dispute led Katz take her 7-month-old daughter and walk from the Arbor Drive home to Hainesville Road about 5 p.m. Saturday.

As the sister and a boyfriend followed in a car on Hainesville Road, said Filenko, Katz threatened to drop the infant on the ground. He said Katz held the child upside down by an ankle, dropped her on the head and picked her up before walking into traffic on Hainesville Road near Washington Street.

Some vehicles swerved to avoid striking Katz and the infant, Filenko said. He said Katz's sister summoned police to the scene.

Filenko said paramedics brought the 7-month-old to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was treated and released to a relative.

Round Lake Beach police responded first to the call, but handed the case to Round Lake Park after proper jurisdiction was established.