Carpentersville sitter pleads guilty in death of baby
A Carpentersville woman and former home day care provider today pleaded guilty to reckless conduct for leaving an 8-month-old unattended in her home for more than five hours, causing the baby to die of hyperthermia while she ran errands.
Deanna Williams, 46, of the 3800 block of Parsons Road, initially faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the life or health of a child.
Instead, the reckless conduct charge has a top sentence of up to 3 years in prison.
Williams entered a blind plea, in which the defendant does not have a specific sentence agreed upon before admitting guilt.
Kane County Judge Timothy Sheldon will sentence Williams on Sept. 22.
In October 2009, Williams was indicted by a grand jury on charges that she caused the death of Sparsh Dhar of Carpentersville.
Assistant State’s Attorney Pam Monaco said the baby was dropped off at Williams’ home the morning of April 21, 2009, but left alone for 5½ hours that day while Williams took her daughter to track practice and also shopped at a vitamin store at Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee.
Monaco said the baby, who was strapped in a car seat under a blanket, was found unresponsive. He died at Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin.
“He was basically DOA and his temperature was 106.1 degrees,” Monaco said, adding the temperature outside that day was only 68 degrees.
Outside of court, Monaco declined to comment on the reduced charge because the case still is pending.
Williams’ attorney, Jacqueline Aldridge, also had no comment.
This is not Williams’ first criminal offense. In January 2006, she was charged with felony aggravated battery of a police officer. She was accused of kicking an officer while she was being arrested. That felony, which carried a top sentence of seven years in prison, was reduced to a misdemeanor and she got a year of probation, which she completed satisfactorily, according to court records.
Williams, while free on bond in this case, also was arrested on charges of driving under the influence on Nov. 21, 2010, after she crashed through a fence at a West Dundee golf course and had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.193 percent (more than twice the legal limit, prosecutors have said.
Williams is due in court on that case on Sept. 26, records show.