Woman Running Illegal Daycare Killed Infant, Gave Parents $2,000 For Funeral: Prosecutors

A woman who reportedly ran an illegal daycare in Illinois has been arrested on charges of killing a 4-month-old girl under her care.

After the infant’s death, the suspect, Norma Chagnama, gave the child’s parents $2,000 for funeral expenses and asked them to “trust the word of God,” prosecutors said Monday.

The 29-year-old babysitter was arrested on first-degree murder charges after the infant she was babysitting, Zury Cruz-Sumba died of multiple injuries caused by child abuse on Feb. 17, CBS News reported.

Chagnama was babysitting Cruz-Sumba at her apartment where she had been running an illegal daycare, prosecutors said.

After the infant got dropped off at Chagnama’s residence on Feb. 16, she allegedly noticed that the child had vomited on her bed. Chagnama is accused of forcefully picking up the child and swinging her over the shoulder to pat her on the back before throwing her onto the bed, reports said.

The infant then showed difficulty breathing, and Chagnama called the child’s mother at work and notified her that something was wrong with the baby.

When the mother reached the scene, she saw that the infant was unresponsive and limp, and rushed her to a hospital after administering CPR. Tragically, however, the baby died the next day.

According to an autopsy report, the infant’s death was a homicide caused by abuse. The girl had a large subdural hematoma on the brain that had likely occurred within 24 hours before her death. She also suffered spinal cord injuries, severe brain swelling, and hemorrhaging around both her optic nerves.

According to reports, Cruz-Sumba’s parents were arrested last month on charges of child endangerment after they reportedly left her in their car while they went inside a restaurant. After the incident, the child was briefly placed into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services. The parents got back her custody only about two weeks before her death, Law & Crime reported.

During the hearing Monday, the court observed that the money paid by the suspect to the parents could be seen either as an act of kindness or something of a more nefarious nature.

Meanwhile, the court allowed Chagnama to be bonded out on conditions including no contact with minors and her kids.